By My Side
by FanGirl0207
Summary: Steven struggled with his feelings for his 'sex buddy', Lance, as a new disaster threaten to bring chaos to Hoenn. Wallace is having a hard time accepting the fact that he may be in love with Steven after breaking up with Winona. A story of actions, conflicts and chaos. Please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**BY MY SIDE**

**LancexSteven. Yaoi. Lemon and those sweet shitty stuffs included. You have been warned!**

**Summary: Steven struggled with his feelings for his 'sex buddy', Lance, as a new disaster threatens to bring chaos to Hoenn. Wallace is having a hard time accepting the fact that he may be in love with Steven after breaking up with Winona. A story of actions, conflicts and chaos. Please enjoy!  
**

**A/N: Sorry for the bad grammar! I'm trying to improve!  
**

* * *

_Pathetic._ That word keeps on ringing in Steven's head no matter how hard he tried to get it out. They both are so different in many ways, and they barely have anything in common, yet Steven's body said otherwise.

The moment their lips are connected, his body instinctively knew what he always wanted, what he truly desires deep inside. When the younger man pinned him down and let him experience helplessness, his mind was somehow eased by the idea. Passion and lust filled his heart as they both greedily devour each other in a vortex of pleasure. The Dragon Master's beastly moans resounded even in his dreams. Steven could feel Lance's warmth melting his soul.

"Is this what you've always wanted...?" Lance's devilishly seductive voice was like music to his ears.

Steven replied with a slight whimper as he felt himself almost coming. He moaned like never before as the pleasure escalate to a level never experienced by his body.

"Lance... Harder, do me harder..." He desperately begged.

"Damn... You're driving me mad..."

Yet Steven's lustful request was unconditionally fulfilled. The Dragon Master literally made the Hoenn Champ screaming with pleasure as he came all over the velvet bed cover.

Lance quickly came afterwards, inside the older Champ, and even though it may seem to be a really wrong thing to do, Steven barely complained. His mind was still lost in the heat and still has yet to return.

Lance collapsed on top of him, burying his face on his neck and nibbled on his flesh. Steven was too lost to respond.

"You little whore..." Lance chuckled as he left several hickeys on his neck. "How many men have done this to you...?"

Steven panted desperately to regain his sanity, ignoring the slight insult Lance obviously hinted. He cried out in pain as Lance's canine breaks the skin at the back of his neck.

The wound he just inflicted upon Steven bleeds slowly. He licked the blood off hungrily, as if devouring victory itself. Soon, sensing that Steven isn't capable of doing a second round, Lance got up and threw the blanket over Steven's body.

"I'm crashing your shower." He simply stated as he collects his clothes and enters the bathroom without as much as a single glance.

After a few moments, Steven buried his face on the pillow, deep inside wondering what Wallace is doing at that moment.

* * *

The next morning when Steven woke up, he wasn't surprise to find that Lance is nowhere to be seen, nor was he surprise to find that his back is aching like hell.

He had expected this from the beginning, yet one thing he didn't expect is the loneliness. That's one emotion that still surprises him.

Sex with Lance had always been satisfying, nine out of ten if he was to be given a score. However, no matter how often they had sex, they still lack the spark. Probably because they barely knew each other, or probably because Steven was thinking of someone else whenever they're doing it.

The ringing of his cell phone interrupted his train of thoughts, "Hello...?"

_"Hey champ, what's up? You got any plan for today or something?" _

Steven was stupefied for a moment, not expecting this person to call so early in the morning. However a smile soon formed on his features, and he replied as casually as possible, "I'm free for today. What are you planning this time?"

_"Well then get ready; I'm picking you up in two hours. Bring your Pokemon too." _Wallace ordered with his bright, unwavering voice.

"What's this all about?"

_"The Elite Fours called me, they said they finally have the time to gather and are wondering if we can join them in a friendly match today. They tried calling you last night, but they said you didn't answer. C'mon, we don't get a chance to evaluate the standards of the Elite Four every day, right?"_

Steven let out a half-hearted chuckle as he picks out his white shirt and grey trousers from his wardrobe. "I'll get ready then. Call you back later."

_"And don't forget your breakfast man! You keep starving yourself for no good reason, like a fat-ass on a diet. You look skinny enough already!"_

"Okay, I'll try not to forget."

As soon as the short conversation is over, Steven took a quick shower and gets everything ready in a matter of few minutes.

When he exited his room, fully-dressed, he was nonetheless surprised to see Lance standing by the kitchen counter, preparing breakfast.

The Johto champ smiled at him, "Morning."

"... I thought you're gone." Was all Steven could say in reply.

"Well miraculously, since I'm not packed with work or any kind of mission today, I thought it would be nice to cook up breakfast for the person who's willing to be at the bottom for four nights straight." He said with an innocent smile.

"You would usually leave without even saying goodbye," Steven pointed out as he helps himself with a glass of water.

"That's because I have to leave for my mission at three in the morning," Lance nonchalantly said as he focused his attention to flipping the pancakes.

"Three in the morning?"

"Yeah. If we're sneaking on another organization's base, it's best to do it at night. You'll have a better chance to succeed. And some other organizations are more active at nighttime."

"Must be tough on you." Steven commented as he took a seat at the dining table.

"Not really. I'm happy with my work."

Steven smiled in amusement, "Your work huh? I don't see what's so fun when you're working with the government."

Lance set out a plate with a stack of pancakes in front of Steven, "Dealing with the government is a pain. But when it comes to blowing things up and beating the hell out of some snotty people, it's a whole different story. You got any maple syrup around?"

"Over there," Steven replied as he pointed at the cupboard on top of the counters.

The Hoenn champ quickly looks away when he finds himself staring at Lance for a moment too long. Sending off the wrong message early in the morning is the last thing he wanted to do, especially considering Wallace is coming soon.

"Listen Lance," Steven said when the Johto champ finally settled across him, "A friend of mine is coming in-"

Steven was suddenly cut-off when Lance's phone rang this time. "Just a sec," Lance muttered as he got up to answer the call, "Hey Jake, I thought we agree that I can have the day off today." He said to whoever it is on the other end, with a very eerie tone – the tone that reminds Steven of the Lance from last night. "What do you mean it's an emergency? What about Kevin, or Casper?" Lance exhaled loudly after a moment of silence, "… Alright, alright… Wait, what do you mean in 15 minutes? I can't possibly travel to Kanto in 15 minutes! Hey, wait, old man, I swear-"

"… He hung up?" Steven asked when he saw the comedic expression on Lance's face.

"My boss… He said I have to be in the Indigo Plateau in 15 minutes. Damn that old man! Sorry I can't stay around for long. You don't mind doing the dishes right?" Lance said as he munched up his breakfast in less than 2 minutes. Now that's someone with a good appetite.

"No, I don't mind at all. Thanks for the breakfast."

"Damn, I don't even have time to get home… Hey, you have any spare clothes I can borrow? Mine got dirty from last night."

"Yeah sure, you can get it from the wardrobe in my room." Steven pointed as he watched Lance with amusement.

Pretty soon, dressed in a plain black shirt and black trousers, he exited the room, all ready to leave. Surprisingly, the clothes he gets fits him nicely, even though Lance is suppose to be physically more develop compared to Steven.

"Thanks, I'll return it as soon as I can," Lance said as he clipped his Pokebelt, strap his boots and pick up his bag. "See ya next time."

The Dragon Master flashed him one gentle smile before leaving through the front door. Steven took a few moments to snap out of it, and when he does, he finds himself heating up for no good reason. He has to admit that Lance can be an ideal lover, if he wasn't so hasty and rough when it comes down to sex.

After cleaning up the dishes, Steven walks in his room, only to find that the Dragon Master has left his cape and dirty clothes lying on the floor. And now he wonders how Lance's room would look like.

* * *

An annoying whistle resounded when Steven was intently watching the match between Drake and Glacia. The two trainers were putting up a decent, heated fight that inevitably caught Steven's full attention, before Sidney decided to be smart.

"Would you look at that," The dark-type trainer said as he gently caresses the bite mark at the back of Steven's neck, "That's one wild lover you got there."

Steven shot him an annoyed look, "Would you stop that?" He said as he brushed Sidney's hand from the back of his neck. He totally forgot the hickeys Lance left last night.

"C'mon, is she as hot as I think she is?" Sidney suggestively asked. "How old is this one? What's her type?"

Steven rolled his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck, hoping that mark would disappear by doing so. He steals some glances at Wallace, who seems to be interested with the topic as well.

"How come you never tell me you have a lover?" Wallace asked.

"It's not my lover, okay. I don't have a lover." Steven raised his tone slightly. Talking about these things with Sidney is not a problem; the only thing that concerns him is the presence of Wallace. In the last 5 years they had been together, Steven had been careful not to hint anything about his feelings for him, nor about his true sexual orientation. He knew that if Wallace finds out, he would freak out.

"So she's a one-night stander with no strings attached?" Sidney pressed on.

"Well… You could say that…"

"My, what a girl she is," Sidney commented. He tried to get a better look on all the other hickeys on his neck, while loudly counting, "Two… Three… Oh, and even here…" He said as he pointed at Steven's earlobe. "Lucky bastard. She must be one hell of a sex buddy."

"How many did she left?" Wallace curiously asked.

"… Quiet a lot…" Steven muttered as he tried to focus his attention on the battle again.

"It's rare to find a woman sharing the same amount of passion for sex, like us men," Sidney began, "I've dated many women, and they all are the same. It's either slow and gentle sex, or just cuddling while watching crappy TV shows. You sure are lucky Steve. If you have a chance, you should really get to know her better."

"… She's not what I really want…" Steven muttered again, eyes still fixed on the battle.

"I agree with Sidney," Wallace said, "A woman like that shouldn't be wasted. If you're not interested with her, maybe you can introduce her to us."

Steven nervously glanced at Wallace, "… Maybe some other time…"

His feelings for Wallace had been one sided for the last five-years. It was love at first sight; never had he seen a man that could be so gentle yet powerful at the same time. He was captivated the moment he first laid his eyes on Wallace, and their friendship had been going on well for the last 5 years. Sometimes he questioned about the possibility of what could happen If he finally confessed to Wallace, and what he imagine had always been… unpleasant. Wallace is supposed to be straight after all. And some sources said he has something for Winona, a GYM leader Steven has never met before.

Sidney and Wallace continue on their chat about their sex life and ex-partners, while Steven, unable to bring himself to listen to their 'normal' sex life, decided to excuse himself to the toilet for a moment.

When he gazed into the mirrors, only then he noticed the hickeys Lance left. They look like bug bites; only these doesn't feel itchy at all. It's stinging with the heat left from last night, and Steven couldn't help but to blush at these absurd thoughts.

He took out his phone and furiously type:

"_Next time, refrain yourself from biting on my neck, seriously."_

As Steven walked back to where the others are, the reply from Lance came:

"_**You like it."**_

He sighed loudly as he stopped in his tracks to reply:

"_I had been trying to keep a good, respectable image for the past few years. Please understand that."_

"_**Wait, don't tell me that you're not openly gay."**_

"_I am not openly gay. The only people who knows about my sexuality is you, and some other people I've slept with."_

"_**Why not come out already? Do they discriminate gays in Hoenn?"**_

"_No they don't. But it's complicated for me…"_

"_**Tell me about it."**_

"_Look, I only want you to stop biting my neck whenever we have sex, okay?"_

"_**Can't, I'm very possessive. Even if we are just sex buddies, at least I want people to know that they can't have you the way that I do."**_

"_Then I think we can postpone our next meeting until you agree to stop biting my neck."_

When Lance did not reply, its either Steven hits the spot, or he's just busy. Whichever it is, the fact that Lance is being stubborn did not put his mind at ease.

* * *

The rest of the day went on without any other kind of drama that Steven had been dying to avoid. He won a battle against Glacia, Phoebe and Sidney, barely able to win when facing Drake's fearsome dragons, and had a tie with Wallace's Milotic.

After hanging out for several hours, each of the Elite Fours finally has to return to their respective works and duties. The six of them parted in the late afternoon after arranging another meeting, and finally said their goodbyes.

"You're getting stronger Steve," Wallace commented as he drove Steven home, "In a few months, you could probably be stronger than me. As expected from the Champion."

"You're just going easy on me. I know you could've done better than that." Steven replied.

Wallace smiled, "No, I'm serious, you're getting better. And your Pokemon is getting a lot stronger too. Look at your Aggron, he's now all big and scary. I can't believe how time just flies. It seems just like yesterday when I first battled you and your Aaron."

Steven chuckled, "Well, time sure flies…"

Silence ensued as Wallace drove his hover-car over the surface of the dark blue ocean. Steven gaze into the ocean, thinking of nothing in particular, when suddenly Wallace brought up the topic that Steven had been dying to avoid, "So, this one-night stander of yours… What's her name?"

Wallace's words struck Steven hard. The coldness of the wind that he had been ignoring suddenly became so obvious that it's almost palpable to him. His spine tingles with the oddest sensation and the cold air he breaths in slowly hurts his lungs. "… It's… None of your concern, Wallace…" Those words came out more as a whisper.

"Why?" Wallace asked again, not noticing how tense Steven has become, "Maybe I'll meet her one day. If you tell me her name, then I may try to be careful not to make a move on her. Of course, that depends on how hot she is. C'mon, from scale 1 to 10, what's her score?"

"… I don't want to talk about it Wallace."

"Did something happen between you and this woman? You don't look so well since this morning; did you have a fight with her?" The blue-haired guy keeps pressing on.

"… No…"

"Then why are you acting like this? You're seriously acting weird."

Steven sighed, "Why do you even bother Wallace?"

"You're my friend; of course I'm worried about you!" Wallace raised his tone, somehow getting pissed by Steven's stubbornness.

"… I'm just doing this person for sex, okay? Why do you have to be so pesky? There is nothing more. I don't know what's so new about me having sex. I'm a man, Wallace, I can take care of myself!"

"Well fine! I'm sorry if I'm being too pesky! I was just too worried about the well-being of my friend. If you find that bothersome, forgive me for caring about you so much."

"Well, probably you should stop caring about me so much and go find someone else to care about. Honestly speaking Wallace, you keep on sending the wrong message."

"What do you mean by that?"

Steven knew he had gone too far, however, there's no turning back when he reached this point. Is it really safe for him to spill out everything to Wallace? No, he's not prepared, not yet.

Wallace grinded his teeth in frustration, before saying, "I just thought... That there's no secret between us..."

Steven decided not to say anything, wishing very hard that Wallace would just stop prying. If Wallace press on a little harder, then there's going to be a big chance that all hell will break loose. Wallace will regret asking so much, and the relation they share will never be the same. Steven wouldn't be able to look at him in the eyes again.

As the Sootopolis town began to appear in the horizon, Wallace decided to break the awkward silence again, "... I'm sorry..." He paused for a moment, letting the word sink, before continuing, "I broke up with Winona two days ago."

That news certainly caught Steven's attention. He glanced at the former Champion of Hoenn, and was surprised to see the sorrowful look that replaces his usual, elegant expression.

"... You know, when I first saw her, I thought that she's the one who I'll be able to love for the rest of my life..." Wallace started, "She's everything you could ask from a woman... Beautiful, dazzling, and she cooks too." Wallace chuckled slightly, before continuing, "But... She doesn't sees me the same way as I do. You could say that in the end, she dumped me... I guess my feelings will always be one-sided..."

"Wallace..."

"I'm sorry if I had been acting like a jerk... I guess I was jealous of you..."

"... It's fine..."

When they finally reached Steven's home, Wallace finds it hard to say goodbye. He wanted to say more to Steven, but couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Do you want to come inside for a drink?" Steven casually offered, even though if the surroundings were a bit brighter, Wallace could probably see the blush forming on his face.

Wallace turned the engine of his hover-car off, before nodding, "Sure."

* * *

After laying out a dozen of beer cans, the two powerful trainer of the Hoenn region settled themselves on the couch, and began gulping down the beers while talking about random stuffs that let them both have a good laugh.

"I never knew you're into capes," Wallace said as he picked up the washed, neatly-folded black cape that Steven left on the table by the couch.

"Oh, that belongs to a friend of mine." Steven replied as he opened the fifth can and gulped the beer. "He left it when he came for a visit last night."

Wallace asked as he inspect the cape, before suddenly saying, "... I thought you're with a girl last night."

"Oh, right..." Steven said as he chuckled giddily.

"Hey... You're drunk already, stop drinking." Wallace said, obvioulsy capable of handling much more than Steven.

"Don't wanna..." Steven moaned, his face flushing red.

The sight of the drunken Steven suddenly made Wallace's heart beat louder for no good reason. He finds himself unable to take his eyes off the younger champion. Something inside him began to stir, and he gets this sudden urge to do something that he might regret later on.

Steven coyly smiled, and without any further warning, he pounced on Wallace. Even though younger and obviously leaner, Steven somehow managed to held Wallace down, even though the water-type trainer had resist for a moment.

"Steven... Snap out of it, you're drunk," Wallace said as he gently hit Steven's head.

The grey-haired trainer smiled mischievously; a smile that really makes him looks like a horny little fox. Drinking did not make Wallace lose his common sense. The moment he saw the foxy smile on Steven's face, he knew where this is going.

Steven inched his face closer to Wallace, and whispered, "Just for tonight... Do me... Make me scream your name..."

Strange images began to fill Wallace's mind when those words finally reached his head. Wrong images that he shouldn't be thinking about at all that really makes him want to slap himself. "No Steven, stop this jo-" His voice was muffled when Steven licked Wallace's lips, before kissing him passionately.

Wallace's last thread of patience snapped. With all his strength, he pushed Steven away and in turn, pinned the younger Champion down. He hungrily eyed Steven, getting turned on by just looking at those glazing eyes, blushing face, soft lips, bushy grey hair... Every little thing about Steven turns him on, especially added by the effect of the alcohol from before.

The blue-haired GYM Leader knew that he's doing the wrong thing, yet his body and heart desires more. Without a second thought, he crushed his lips on Steven's, who willingly opens his mouth. Their tongues entwined with greed and fiery passion, their hips grinding against in each other in constant rythm. Excitement shot throughout Wallace's body when he felt Steven's hand caressing his manhood.

Wallace's lips moved down and began attacking Steven's neck. However, when he saw the numerous hickeys on Steven's neck, he abruptly stopped.

"Don't stop... Lance..." Steven whimpered.

And somehow, that really kills the mood. "Whose Lance?" Wallace asked, anger hinted in his voice.

Steven chuckled, "Idiot, stop that... Don't joke around when I'm getting serious."

"Who the heck is Lance?" Wallace did not make any attempt to hide his anger anymore.

"Lance? He's a guy... I often have sex with... Unromantic piece of crap... But he's real tough on bed..."

If Steven had been sober enough, he could obviously see that Wallace is seething with rage. Without another word, Wallace angrily left Steven's house, leaving the champion alone.

* * *

"Hey Wallace..." Steven said at the phone, "Sorry I got drunk last night... I shouldn't have drink that much. I don't remember what exactly happened... But sorry if I was troubling you last night. Call me back if you have the time, okay?" And as soon as he said that, he ended his voicemail and crumpled the piece of paper from which he had been reading out loud.

Steven looked out of the huge window located next to his bed, and heaved out loudly. He had no idea what he had done last night after his fourth round, and there's nothing much he can do but to pray he did not do anything embarassing.

"... I shouldn't have drink that much..." Steven muttered to himself for the hundreth time that day.

* * *

"You did a great job yesterday, champ!" A male coworker said as he flashed Lance a thumbs-up.

Lance smirked as he sipped on his cup of white coffee, "Thank you, it's flattering to hear it coming from the guy who says that I can only get in his way."

"Hey, I'm sorry okay? I thought you're just an ordinary trainer. You know, some trainers get easily freaked out!"

"Next time, Leo-the-oh-so-skillful-master-of-everything, never underestimate other people's capability. It's rude, and annoying." Lance said as he proceeded on his way to his boss' office.

Leo walked next to him and continued, "Thanks for saving my life, I owe you one."

"Nevermind, it is my duty to watch over people like you after all..."

"Looking forward to working with you again Lance." He said as they were about to part their ways.

"I hope next time you'll remember that pressing all the buttons in an emergency situation is not a good idea." Lance said as he entered a room with the label 'Conference Room'.

"Hey, it's a brilliant idea!" Leo complained loudly before Lance can shut the door.

"You wish!" Lance shouted back and slammed the door of the Conference Room shut behind him. He found himself in the room with no one else around except for himself, and his boss.

Despite being the old person he is, Jake Hunter is still a fit man with a ridiculously sharp mind and an excellent ability to read the enemy's movement like a book. His face may be wrinkled, however his sharp silver eyes still reflects the fiery spirit of a youth. He is a truly cruel man with a heart of stone, incapable of understanding the harsh condition some people has to face. Yet behind it all, he actually cares for the well-being of those under his care.

"You called, boss?" Lance asked as he took a seat next to him.

"... You did very well yesterday, Lance. You managed to stop those terrorist from blowing up one of Hoenn's passanger ship. The people from the Hoenn government truly worship your skills of handling the situation…"

"It was nothing…" Lance nonchalantly replied.

"You single-handedly brought down all the terrorists, you managed to locate the bomb and diffuse it before it blew up, save all the hostages, and stop the ship from sailing straight into a deserted island when the Captain was knocked out."

"Sad to admit, but Agent Leo had been a great help." Lance said with a smirk, "He got some skills..."

"He's impulsive."

"I like him."

"... Your opinions is not going to help him get anywhere."

Lance sighed, "There goes my chance of going a good deed... Okay, so let's get down to business. What is it this time?"

Jake, without any other words, handed over the document he had been holding to Lance. "As you may already know, there's a new group of terrorists on the loose. Their identity is still a mystery to us, however, it is clear that they mean business when they decided to set up a bomb in one of Hoenn's ship. After looking through the passangers' list, and eliminating the minor civilians, we have the name of their target."

Lance put down his cup of coffee and look over the document. "... President of the Devon Corporation, Raymond Stone... Stone... I think I've heard of that name before..."

Jake nodded, "We have questioned this man and informed him that his life is in danger. It seems that what those terrorist want from him is the new technology he developed that can control the mind of Pokemon."

"Why would he created something like that?"

Jake leaned back in his seat, "It is a man's instinct to desire for control..."

"... So, what do I have to do? Guard him for 24/7?"

"What they want you to do, Lance, is to help them investigate further on this matter. They specifically requested for your help."

"Specifically requested, huh? Why do I get a bad feeling about this...?"

"Whether you go for this mission or not, it is your choice. You just need to know that you are not working under my command, and that some unexpected things might happen later on."

Lance thought for a moment as he read through the President's biodata. There are several pros and cons he needs to consider if he's going to do this. Working in a new environment with new people may be troublesome, however he may get some new experience by doing so. Besides, he's quiet familiar with Hoenn already.

His gaze fell upon the names of relatives, and was genuinely surprised when he read the only name that was written on the living relative's list.

"I'll take on this mission." He said without any second thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**BY MY SIDE**

**A/N: Hmmm... One of the most lengthy chapter is here! I apologize for the bad grammar before anything else! Enjoy!  
**

It was noon when Steven finally decided to get out of his room and grab something to eat. Wallace still has yet to reply and Steven had been dying to know what he did last night. When his phone finally rang for the first time that day, he had expected the caller to be Wallace, however, he was disappointed to find out that it wasn't.

"Yes, Director of the Pokemon League, what can I help you with?" Steven flatly asked.

"_Steven, sorry for interrupting you, however, I've got a request for you."_

"I'm sorry to inform you Director, I am not interested in doing any kind of work for the government. My job in the League is to hold the title of 'Champion', and wait until I can pass it down to someone else worthy of the title. I thought we've made this clear the moment I took that title."

"_...This concerns your father safety, Steven. Are you still not interested?"_

Steven's heart skipped a beat when he mentioned about his father. His father is one of the most important person to him, even though his father barely talk to him anymore ever since he decided to reveal his sexual preference. Despite being given the cold treatment by his father, Steven still cares for him nonetheless. "... Did something happen to him?"

"_Yesterday, your father was sailing on a passenger ship from Sinnoh after a business meeting. The ship was hijack by several group of terrorist, and it was suspected that he's the main target. They planted a bomb in the ship, knocks the engineers and threatens to kill everyone if your father did not surrender. Luckily, a couple of Kanto's Special Agents responded quickly to our emergency request and stabilized the situation. Your father is now back in the corporation, safe and sound."_

"... Who are these terrorist?"

"_Those terrorists managed to escape, however, there's no doubt that they're going to strike again if we don't do anything to stop them. Your father's security is taken care of by the Hoenn's government. However, you do realize that the number of people willing to work for the government is nothing compared to that of Kanto's or Johto's. We're in need of help here to put a stop to these terrorists, and the only people the Hoenn government can rely on are the ones working in the Pokemon League."_

"... I see..."

"_Your help is urgently needed, Steven. If you are willing to help us out, please come to the Evergrande meeting hall at 9 PM."_

"I understand, thank you for informing me..." Without another word, Steven hung up. He quickly went through the list of his contacts, and when he finally finds his father's number, he contemplate on whether he should call him or not.

After his father caught him sleeping with men in one of the security cameras, their relation has taken turn for the worst. Rumors began spreading, and to save his father's good name, the only thing Steven could do is to cut all ties with him. Of course the rumors had been put out by his father's hardwork, but ever since that incident, he finds it hard to look his father the same way again. Sometimes, his disappointed voice resounded in one of Steven's nightmares, and even though his sexual orientation isn't something he could control, he felt as if he had become a great disappointment to his father.

He didn't find joy in collecting rare stones anymore; he doesn't even want to look at them anymore. Every piece of collection he owned would just remind him of his father, and how much he had failed him.

Steven puts his phone away, unable to bring himself to talk to his father so suddenly.

* * *

The blooming city of Evergrande had been the center of Hoenn's Pokemon League as well as the Center of Hoenn's government. It is there that people tried their best to win the title of Champion by defeating the Elite Four firsts, before facing the Champion himself. Many governmental association are located there as well, but their numbers are significant, and people barely notice their existence.

The huge meeting hall of the Evergrande overlooks the whole panorama of the city, which lit up beautifully under the starry night sky. However, Steven had seen too many town to be captivated by the view. Being the very first to arrives, he took his time to relax and clear his mind before the others arrived.

Soon enough, the Director of the Pokemon League enters the room, along with Wallace walking by his side. Steven barely knows how to act when he saw the blue-haired GYM leader, and he knew something was wrong when he saw Wallace's face paled.

"Steven, it's nice of you to come," The Director said as he shook Steven's hand, "I was worried that you couldn't make it."

"If it concerns my father, I wouldn't even hesitate to come, Director," Steven replied.

"Ah yes, have you talked to your father about the situation?" The Director asked.

Steven nervously glanced at the floor, before shaking his head, "I'll call him later. I need to know what's going on first."

The Director observed Steven for a moment, before saying, "... The first person your father calls after the hijacking was me. And do you know why?"

"No."

"He called me to ask about your condition. He was very worried that you were targeted as well."

That was unexpected, and Steven barely knew how to react properly to that. As far as he is concerned, his father did not want to bother about him anymore and thought that he is a disgrace to his good name. Does this mean that his father still cares for him?

"I may not know what happened between you two, but I think you need to know that your father is still worried about you, no matter what you've done or said."

Steven nodded hesitantly, "I'll contact him as soon as I can..."

"That's good to hear..." The Director said as he stood by the window and admired the view, "At times like this, we need to think cool and throw away our ego. This is going to be a long and dangerous battle, but we must do all we can to win..." He then turned to Steven again, "Wallace is going to be the Leader of this investigation, do you have anything against that?"

Steven glanced at Wallace, who somehow adopts this uneasy look in his eyes. "... I don't mind. He's the best person for the job." Steven said, not taking his eyes off the ex-champion.

The Director nodded, "Good, all that's left is to wait for the other volunteers..."

As if on cue, the door suddenly bursts open, and the said volunteers enter the room. Steven mentally recognized them one by one; Sidney, Drake, Roxanne, Brawly, and Winona.

"Ah, just in time," The Director said, "Welcome, all of you." He said as he went over to the newcomers and began talking with them.

In the meantime, Steven glanced at Wallace, and decided to bring up the topic, "Hey... Wallace." He started.

"Yeah..." He said as he avoid eye-contact with the younger champion.

"... Did you get my voicemail...?"

"Ah, yes I did... Sorry I couldn't call back, I've been busy..."

Steven nodded, "Uh... So... did something happen...?"

Wallace nervously shrugged, "No, nothing. You just got drunk, and... pass out."

Steven sighed quietly in relief when he hear those words, however one thing still bugs him, why is Wallace still acting so weird? Is he lying when he said nothing happened? Before Steven could say anything else, Winona suddenly came up to Wallace.

"Wallace, I see you're doing fine." Winona said, her eyes looking nervous.

"You too Winona," Wallace replied.

"How's it going with you?" She asked.

"Fine. And you?"

When Steven noticed the awkwardness between the two, he assumed that Wallace is acting weird because Winona is around, especially considering that Winona just dumped him recently. Knowing that he is not wanted in their conversation, Steven took a seat by the window and waited until everyone finally settled in their own respective seats.

Sidney and Drake suddenly came up to him and took their seats next to him.

"So champ, how's it going?" Sidney playfully asked.

Steven shot him a look, "Nothing new Sidney, thank you for asking." He hinted a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Oh hey, have you heard about the hijacking news from yesterday?" Sidney suddenly said. "They said the terrorists were brought down by one agent who not only fights the terrorists, but also diffuses the bomb, and save the ship when the crew were not capable of handling the ship. This guy is sure one hell of a super hero."

"I also heard from the Director that we are going to work with this man in this investigation," Drake added as he took out his pipe, "Young lad will be stubborn as hell... We're going to have a hard time working with this one."

"Yeah, most of Kanto and Hoenn Agents are full of arrogant people who looks down upon Hoenn's security system," Sidney said, "Just because they have a team of more evil organization compared to Team Aqua and Magma combined, doesn't mean they can act like the expert around here."

"It's only natural..." Steven commented. "Their regions have experienced far more terror than ours. Team Rocket had been terrorizing the region openly and mercilessly, I've heard that they began using gunneries recently. If anyone is to be blamed, it would be Team Rocket."

"Now that you mentioned it, we're lucky that Team Magma and Aqua are not causing so much terror... They're still trying to find a way to control Groudon and Kyogre, right? They will never succeed..." Sidney continued, "Besides, if worst is to come, we still have Rayquaza, who can stop the two of them. To prepare for that time, I heard the government had been actively pursuing Rayquaza, but do they really think they could harness a legendary Pokemon just like that?"

"The government are full of sneaky people," Drake said, "There's no telling what they're planning. We just have to prepare ourselves and be ready if anything happens."

"You're right."

Suddenly, the Director cleared his throat, "Everyone, please settle down." He said, even though everyone in the room is pretty much settled in their repsective seats, "Once again, I would like to say thank you for those who have spared their time to come and help us out in this mission."

Suddenly, someone from the outside flung the door open and mindlessly enters the room. When Steven's brain finally recognized the young man who just entered, he swore his heart nearly stopped beating.

Thickly dressed in a black and crimson jacket, black baggy jeans and wearing a grey scarf around his neck, the red-headed young man looks like he's ready to go on an expedition to the north. He brought along with him a green bag which is bulging with some mysterious content, and sport a pair of snow goggles on top of his head.

Lance looked around the room, before his gaze fell upon the Director.

"Ah, are you the Kanto Agent we requested?" The Director asked.

"Yes." Lance replied.

"I never thought you'd look so young..." The Director said as he inspect Lance further, "Is it really that cold in Kanto?"

Lance took off the goggles and shot the Director a look, "No, the night air is. You should try traveling to a region hundreds of miles away, after someone decided to be smart and tells you an important meeting is taking place in 5 more minutes, in that region."

"Ah, sorry about that... My secretary had forgotten to inform you earlier, that's why I expect you to be late. But you make it here in five minutes! That is a truly amazing record."

Steven was dumbfounded for a moment, but gradually finds the annoyed, disheveled-looking Dragon Master to be amusing, in a way or two. He had never expect that the Agent would be him, the person he had slept with two nights ago.

The Director observed Lance's pale skin, frozen lips and messy hair. The tired look in Lance's eyes indicate further that this agent is not in his best state. "... Are you sure you're still capa-"

"I just need coffee... A warm one." He quickly cuts-in.

"I'll arrange it," The Director said as he took out his phone and texted his Secretary, who was supposed to be somewhere nearby. After texting, he cleared his throat again, and turns to the Hoenn trainers, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduced to you, the young, skillful agent from Kanto; Lance."

Wallace's body numbed when he heard that name mentioned; the name which had been echoing in his head since the other night. His eyes widened as he tried to bring himself to look at Steven, who seems to be slightly nervous. His gaze fell back on the red-headed trainer, unable to bring himself to believe that person had been sleeping with Steven.

"Briefly speaking, he is the Johto Champion who used to serve the Pokemon G-Men, before being transferred to the Kanto Inter-regional Security Service. He was the one who rescued the Hoenn's passenger ship the other morning. Do you have anything you want to say, Lance?" The Director offered.

Lance nodded as he faced the others and inspect their faces one by one. His facial expression shows no sign of surprise when he saw Steven, "... I'll be working with you for this mission, and expect nothing much aside from your cooperation and determination to put a stop to this terrorists as quickly as possible. I admit that I am a stubborn person and can come up with the most tactless strategies, but I hope that you are all willing to guide me. That is all."

"Wallace, the person I've assigned to be the leader, will introduce you to the other as soon as possible. For now, please take a seat, I'm going to show you several information I managed to get."

Lance took the empty seat next to Wallace and mindlessly dumped his heavy bag. He smiled at Wallace and said, "I hope we'll get along." Lance offered.

Wallace glared at him, and softly said, "I don't think I'll like you."

Dumbfounded by Wallace's attitude that did not match his pretty face, Lance decided to ignore him and focused his attention on the screen, while trying to warm himself up.

* * *

The meeting went on well, with the Director showing several photos from the hijacking of the passanger ship from the other day. The faces of those terrorists were concealed behind the silver hoods they're wearing, and it's difficult to make out anything from those photos except for the fact that they train no particular type of Pokemon. Witness have been interrogated, but no one knows for sure which way those terrorists fled after that attack.

"Hijacking a passenger ship is not as simple as landing out of nowhere and began threatening everyone on the ship," The Director said, "There has to be an inside person who had been there on the ship, watching over the President. Or maybe someone who had been watching the President even before he left for Sinnoh. "

"I agree," Wallace said, "I think we should go through the passengers's list, do a background check for every suspicious characters, and find out if there's anyone who left Hoenn and return on the same day as the president."

"There are around 200 passengers on the ship," Brawly commented, "Is it even possible to do a background check for each one of them?"

"I don't see any other alternatives," Winona said, "Those terrorists left without any trace. To begin this investigation, we must at least begin at a point. And going through the passengers' list is the best place to start."

"I don't see the point in doing that," Lance suddenly commented, "Doing a background check can take weeks, and in that time, they could have started their next attack on the president before we can find our main suspect. I suggest that we keep a close watch on the president."

"The President is safe already under the Government's care. He's now staying in a safe place, with only a few people who knew his location." Wallace flatly replied.

Lance somehow seems to be surprised by that fact, but keeps quiet afterward. The serious look on his face indicates that there's something that bothers him, but no one took much notice.

"We'll divide the work as soon as we get the names," Wallace stated, "To narrow down the search, we'll set children and old civilians aside and focus more on the trainers. Any objection?"

After everything was agreed upon, the meeting was dismissed until they can get the list of passengers from the ship's company. The others introduced themselves to Lance afterward, except for Steven, who decided to keep a safe distance.

"I've heard they call you the 'Dragon Master'..." Drake said, "A trainer with a special capability to converse and understand dragon-type Pokemon. It's a pleasure to meet you at last."

"You're a famous dragon trainer too, Drake," Lance replied, "In my hometown, they look up to your capability of bonding with dragon Pokemon, even though you're not a descendant of the dragon clan. You are a living proof that a great dragon trainer can come from anywhere, and not just Blackthorn."

"How old are you anyway Lance?" Sidney asked, "You certainly looks too young to be the 'super hero' I've imagined."

"I'm twenty-one this Winter," Lance said, "What kind of person are you hoping for anyway?"

"Well, I was expecting you to be older," Sidney said as he gently pinched Lance's cheek, "Not a pretty-face like you." He teasingly stated.

Lance smirked, "Oh please, I can assure you I'm more than just good looks."

The Director suddenly cuts-in, "Lance, we have prepared accommodation for you in one of the best hotels nearby. I hope you'll enjoy your stay there."

"Thank you, but please save yourself the cost, I'm staying over at someone's house." Lance quickly replied.

"May I know whose house you're staying at?" The Director curiously asked.

"Steven's." Lance said with a smirk.

When Steven heard his name mentioned, he almost jumped from his seat. He shot Lance a look, "What do you mean my house?" He quickly asked.

"I'm staying over at your house." Lance said, giving emphasize to each and every word.

Steven blinked, "... No way." He countered with the same tone, "Don't decide on your own."

"Well that's convenient, you two knew each other already," The director said, "If that's the case, then Steven, please take care of Lance. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"W-Wait, director, I... He can't... This guy..." Steven stammered, trying to find the right words to say, but then realize he has no reason to reject the idea of Lance staying with him.

"I'll cook breakfasts," Lance said as he offers Steven his Mr-charming smile, "How does that sound?"

Steven's heart beat louder when he saw that smile, and had to look away to hide his blushing face, however before he can say anything else, Wallace cuts-in, "I don't think it would be a very great idea for Steven, Director."

"Why not?" The director questioned.

Wallace shot Lance a look, "He might do something to Steven. As Steven's friend, I have the right to be worried."

Lance return Wallace the look, "You're sure one hell of a good friend. What do you expect me to do to him anyway?"

"... I heard rumors about you Lance..." Wallace said, "... Unpleasant rumors..."

Lance thought for a moment, before finally saying, "You mean the rumors saying that I'm gay?" The room was then filled with awkward silence. Steven's heart skipped a beat when he heard those words, and Wallace was genuinely amazed by his openness. The silence was interrupted when Lance chuckled, "Well yes... Yes, I am sexually attracted to men."

"You must be joking." Brawly stated.

"No I'm not," Lance replied, "I am gay. But then, that doesn't makes me a rapist, right? Besides, I wouldn't do anything to Steven if he doesn't want me to. I'm very proud to say that I have an outstanding self-control."

"That still means you're going to do something to him." Wallace retorted. "Director, for the safety of Steven, I forbid this man to stay in his house."

The Director seems to be confused by how things turn out and is still considering the wiser choice.

"I heard that Hoenn doesn't discriminate gays..." Lance said, "Do you have a personal opinion on that matter, Wallace?"

The blue-haired GYM leader glanced at Steven, who seems to be rather nervous with the discussion. "... I don't." Wallace admit.

"Then this discussion is over. I don't think Steven minds, right Steve?" Lance asked.

Steven sighed, in hopes of calming himself down, "... I have nothing against it." He finally said.

Wallace look at Steven with a disbelief look on his face. He gritted his teeth and look away, "I'll be leaving..." He said before he stormed out of the room.

"Is he always like that?" Lance asked.

"No, never seen him act like that before..." Winona said, "He must have a lot in mind."

The Director was thoughtful for a moment, before saying, "Well Steven, I entrust Lance's accommodation to you, if it's not a problem."

"Not at all," Steven replied, "Lance had stayed over in my place for a couple of times, I don't think it'll be much of a problem."

"Now you're talking Steve," Lance said, "C'mon then, I'm tired and in need of some rest."

* * *

Lance threw himself on the couch as soon as he entered Steven's house. "Damn, so tired..." He said as he closed his eyes.

"Don't sleep on the couch. You can use the guest room." Steven informed as he took off his coat and tie. However, he was quiet surprised that the Johto Champion is asleep already. He went over to Lance's sleeping figure, and gently caress his cheek, "Idiot..." He muttered.

There are actually several things he wanted to say to Lance, especially concerning the previous little incident with Wallace. They barely get a chance to talk on their way back to Steven's house, since they rode on their respective flying Pokemon, and now Lance is asleep already.

Concerned about Lance's comfort, Steven took off his scarf, thick coat and heavy boots. He was nonetheless surprised to see that beneath the thick coat, Lance is still wearing the black shirt he borrowed yesterday.

"... How do you actually live?" He asked out loud as he took off Lance's shirt and put a spare blanket over his half-naked body. Steven paused for a moment and observed his sleeping figure, and he has to admit, Lance looks handsome even when he's sleeping.

Unable to resist the urge, Steven bent over and placed a light peck on Lance's lips, before finally proceeding to his own room.

* * *

The next morning when Lance woke up, he was surprised to see that he has slept throughout the night as well as morning. It's late in the afternoon already.

"Damn…" Lance cursed as he gets up with a jolt. He glared at the clock, as if blaming it for all the wrong things that had happened in his life.

"And I thought you'll never wake up." A voice resounded from the adjacent room. Steven popped his head out of the kitchen, "Good afternoon to you too." He said when he saw the sour look on Lance's face.

"… How long did I sleep?" Lance asked as he rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

"13 hours." Steven stated as he went back to whatever he is doing in the kitchen, "Are you hungry? I can cook up something for lunch if you want."

Lance sighed as he felt his whole body aching painfully, "Sure…" Traveling late at night in a ridiculously high speed, on Dragonite certainly was not a good idea. The wind pressure on his body was so overwhelming that he thought he couldn't possibly make it. Even though he did make it alive in the end, the whole thing is not worth the pain.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?" Steven asked when he saw Lance laying helplessly on the couch.

Lance shook his head, "Just feeling a bit sore…" He said, "Sorry I couldn't make you the breakfast I promised."

Steven shrugged, "You were tired. Just rest some more."

"… Is there any news about the current mission?"

"No, not yet. Wallace is still working on it. He'll inform us soon if he finds anything…" Steven replied.

"Wallace eh…? That's one nice friend you've got there… Too nice in my opinion…"

"… He often sends the wrong message. In the end, he's just another straight guy looking for a loving relationship with another woman."

"He seems to like you a lot…"

"We're good friends."

"I don't think so. There's got to be something more."

"Shut up already. It has nothing to do with you." Steven replied sharply.

"… I apologize if I offend you in any way." Lance smirked, already knowing what Wallace means to Steven. "At first I thought he was your boyfriend."

"… I'm not openly gay."

"I know."

Silence ensued as Steven continued preparing lunch. Lance closed his eyes for a moment, before deciding to change the topic, "… Your father… Do you know his current location?"

"No…" Came the simple reply, "Haven't had contact with his for quite some time."

"You're fighting with him?"

"… Just not talking, not since he found out that I'm gay."

"You told him that you're gay?"

"One of the video cam in his office caught me making out with another man. He quickly finds out about the video, and was totally mad about it… I decided to cut all ties with him, just to save his good name. He can't afford to tell the public that he has a gay son who will be inheriting his company, right?"

"That sounded ironic…" Lance commented, "But you still care for him."

"… He's my father. It's only natural… How about you, did you tell your parents already?"

"I'm an orphan. My father dies on the day I was born, and my mother follows him several days later." Lance casually said.

"Sorry to hear that."

"Don't be… My grandfather did his best to raise me… When I told him I'm gay, he finds it hard to accept. He warned me that I'm never going to be the Clan Leader if I don't find myself a suitable, decent wife."

"Don't you want to be a Clan Leader?"

"Not interested… I don't have any other purpose in life except to keep on doing the work that I'm doing."

"That seems pretty dull."

"You spend almost every single day of your life staying at home and doing nothing. Tell me more about how exciting your life is."

Knowing that he can't argue with that, Steven kept quite.

"Hey Steve." Lance suddenly called.

"Yes?"

"I need to know where your father is."

"Why?"

"It's suspicious…" Lance said, "Why would the government gets themselves involved in this? What kind of relation does the company have with the government anyway?"

"Aside from the fact that we pay our taxes to the government, the Devon didn't have any other relation with them."

"Exactly!" Lance exclaimed, "So don't you think it looks suspicious? They barely have any relation, and then suddenly they came and declare that they'll take good care of your father… They've some hidden motives, I'm sure of it."

"You're thinking way too far…" Steven muttered, even though he's actually trying to consider Lance's suspicion.

"When it comes down to this kind of situation, everyone is a possible suspect..."

"… I'll call him…" Steven said as he took out his phone and sat down on the couch across Lance. He dialed his father's number, and put the phone on loudspeaker so that Lance can also hear their conversation, even though he felt uncomfortable by the idea of Lance listening to their conversation.

"… _Steven?" _An old voice came from the phone.

"Father, it's me…" Steven softly said at the phone, feeling really nervous, "… I just wanted to know how you're doing. I heard you were attacked."

"… _I'm doing fine; the government is taking good care of me…"_

Lance's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard the slight crack in his voice, as if the President is nervous about something. Steven noticed as well, and couldn't help but to ask, "Are you sure? Where are you now?"

"My location is confidential as for now," He replied, in a much controlled tone for now, _"… I'll be fine…"_

"… Is that so?" Steven finally said, "… I'm sorry for bothering you, father…"

Steven was about to hang up, when suddenly the president said, _"I'm glad you called Steve... I really am."_

Steven did not reply; he only stared at the phone, waiting for his father to say something else.

"_Listen… I just wanted to tell you that… I'm proud of you Steve, no matter what."_

Steven closed his eyes as he let the words sank. He bit his lower lips to prevent unwanted outbursts of emotions. Why did he say something like that out of the blue? What's the meaning of that?

Lance, who had been watching, suddenly jerked up from the couch and quickly searched for his bag. He drew out his laptop, turns it on, and wrote on a piece of paper:

"I'm tracking his location, keep talking!"

He took out a long cable from his laptop, connects it to Steven's phone, and began to work.

"… _That's all I wanted to say Steve…"_

"Father…" Steven said, "I- I… I'm sorry, if I hadn't been the son you've always wanted… I'm sorry if I was reckless and careless… I'm really sorry…"

"_Steven… I told you, I'm proud of you, no matter what you do…"_

"… I'm sorry…"

"_... I really should get going…"_

As soon as Lance hears it, he furiously wrote on the paper:

"I'm not done!"

"Father!" Steven suddenly said.

"_What's wrong Steve?"_

With his fingers, Lance began showing Steven the amount of time he needs, starting from five…

"I don't know how to say this…" Steven muttered.

Four; Lance signaled as he began typing and cursing to himself.

"… Father I… I really, really…"

Three…

"I… I miss you…"

Two…

"I hope I can see you soon…"

One…

"… _I'll see you soon, I promise, Steve." _

And with that, he hung up.

"Lugia bless me!" Lance shouted out loud as he threw himself on the couch. "That was so close! I thought I wouldn't make it!"

Steven kept quiet as he looked down and closed his face with his hand, unable to hold back the emotions any longer. His body shook as he desperately tried to control himself.

Lance looked at him, and said, "… Hey, I've got his location. Don't worry…"

Steven nodded and forced back the tears threatening to roll down his cheek. Lance sighed as he got up and gently pushed Steven, forcing Steven to look at him. "I'm glad that he accepts you for what you are…" Lance softly said.

Steven happily smiled and pulls Lance in a tight embrace.

The Dragon Master was surprised by the sudden action, but think of it as a gesture of happiness. He returned the hug, yet there's something unsettling about Steven's scent. Slowly but surely, the beast inside him began to take over, and threatens his so-called 'self-control'. The fact that he is half-naked already did not help at all.

Lance buried his face at Steven's collar, and began kissing him without any warning. His lips slowly moved towards Steven's, begging the older champ to let him in.

"No Lance, stop, not now." Steven hissed.

Lance stopped, and pulled away from him, "… Sorry." He muttered as he took out a clean shirt from his bag, "I'm taking a shower." And with that, he quickly enters the bathroom, leaving Steven to wonder if he just hurt the Dragon Master's feelings.

* * *

Four times.

They've had sex for four times in the past three weeks, and the fact that every sex is initiated by Steven's desperate attempt to run away from the painful reality did not put his mind at ease. He could barely remember how it all started, but the first time Steven laid his eyes on the Dragon Master in the Dragon's den, he knew what he wanted from that young champion.

He was there, contemplating on his life in the quiet Den, asking himself what went wrong, and possibly crying. That's when Lance shows up and tried to comfort him; by asking him what's wrong and all that stuffs. The Johto Champ didn't have any ill-intentions at first, but when Steven made his first move and seduced Lance right then and there in the Den, what happened next was inevitable.

From that point onward, Steven would called him on some of his lonely, depressing nights and demanded the young Champ to come over and have sex. Lance would never turn down his request, except of course, when he's in the middle of an important mission.

Is he being unfair to Lance?

Steven sighed as he threw himself back on the couch, "… I wasn't even in the mood." He muttered to himself.

His gaze then fell upon Lance's laptop, which is still left as it is. He went over and looks at the screen, which display the map of the Hoenn region. Being the experienced geographer, he finds no difficulty in making out the exact location of his father.

"Evergrande City?" He asked to none in particular when he noticed which part of Hoenn it is. "No way…" However suddenly, the red, beeping point which indicates the location of his father disappeared. He cursed inside his head, before calling out to the person in the bathroom, "Lance, what happened when the signal disappear?"

"He must have turned off his phone!" Lance said, "Damn, did you see his last location?"

"Yes, Evergrande City!"

"Give me a few minutes!"

In just a matter of two minutes, Lance slammed open the bathroom door, fully-dressed in his white shirt and the black baggy jeans. He went over to his laptop and checked on the map, "Yeah, the president turns it off… Why would he?"

"… Maybe he ran out of battery?" Steven suggested as he watched Lance copying the coordinates from his laptop to his phone.

"I sincerely doubt that," Lance said, "C'mon, we're going to Evergrande!"

* * *

After several minutes of preparation and flight, the two champions landed right in front of one of the government buildings located quiet far from the center of the Evergrande city. Judging from the dome-shaped metallic roof, Steven thought that the building was some kind of research department. Why would they keep his father in a place like this?

"There's no sign of life…" Lance muttered as he walked around the building, followed by his loyal Dragonite. He went over to one of the windows and swipes off the dust, "Deserted too."

"This doesn't look right…" Steven muttered thoughtfully.

"… Let's check what's inside. Dragonite, stay here and keep an eye on the surroundings…" Lance muttered as he went to the double-metallic door and turns the handle.

Inside the dark room, they could see nothing else aside from the various broken-down machinery that seem to be neglected at the darker corners of the room. Lance abruptly stopped at the entrance, making Steven bumped right into him and almost fell. "What's wrong?" Steven asked.

Lance bent down to observe the dusty floor, "Footprints…" he said, indicating the prints which almost went unnoticed by the Hoenn Champ. "And it's still fresh…" He added. "Going in and out… Someone was here just recently…"

Lance walked into the room and stood at the center, thinking hard. What kind of place is this? What kind of lab that consist of one room only? More importantly, why would the Devon President visits a place like this? His gaze then fell upon the huge Pokeball symbol located on the wall across the door. Just like its surrounding, the symbol looks worn-out and dusty.

Steven noticed the symbol too, "… Hey Lance…" He softly said when he saw the center of the Pokeball reflecting light; as if it had just been polished.

Lance nodded as he walked over to the symbol on the wall and observed the center closely. Even though the area was dark, Lance could make out the slight movement inside the symbol.

"We're being watched…" Steven said as he became more aware of his surroundings.

"… The question is; who?" Lance said as he suddenly took out a small pocket knife from his belt and stabbed the center of the Pokeball. The glass broke into pieces, and the camera was no doubt broken.

"…"

"…"

Suddenly, the tense silence was interrupted when the loud cry of Dragonite and Metagross was heard from outside. Before the two Champions can make it out of the door, someone from the outside slammed the door shut. Lance tried to open the door, with no luck at all.

"It's locked!" Lance said. "Dragonite! Dragonite, can you hear me?"

Lance could make out battle noises from outside, and no doubt, Dragonite is engaged in a battle with whoever it is that locked the door.

"Lance, look!" Steven alerted when slowly, the floor at the center of the room was parted into two.

Two figures rose from the hole that seems to lead deep underground; one a Pokemon and the other its trainer. "Do not think of fighting back, roselia, sleep powder!"

And that's the last thing the two Champion heard before plunging into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**BY MY SIDE**

The very first thing that the Dragon Master felt is the coldness of the metallic floor against his cheek. Slowly, he became more aware of his surroundings. His brain started to sort out the things that had happened previously before he got knocked out. He quickly opened his eyes when he knew that he's in a grave situation.

He found himself lying on the cold floor, in a small room, behind bars. He quickly stood up and desperately looks around, wondering where he is. Suddenly, someone entered the room, and Lance was nonetheless surprised to see Wallace entering, along with the Director.

"Wallace? Director? What is the meaning of this?" Lance nearly growled, knowing that something isn't right.

"That should be our line, special agent Lance." The director calmly replied, "You were caught trying to attack one of the government's building-"

"I was investigating that abandoned building!" Lance snapped.

"With your Dragonite," The Director continued, "And you were under the charge of kidnapping Champion Steven."

"Don't fuck around with me!" Lance angrily said, "Why the fuck would I want to kidnap Steven?"

Wallace glared at the younger champion, "That's what I'm about to ask you, son of a bitch." He eerily said, "Why would you kidnap Steven? What's your purpose, and where is he now?"

"How would I know, scumbag," Lance sharply countered, "Why don't you go after his 'real' kidnapper and find out?"

"As much as I don't want to believe it, Lance, you are under arrest until we've got further confirmation about Steven's whereabouts. Your Pokemon will be safe under our care." The Director informed, "Of course, if you are truly found guilty, the judges wouldn't let you off easily."

"Some fuckers set me up! I'm telling you now before it's too late!"

"We will inform the Kanto inter-regional Security Service about this…" The Director said, "Maybe they can do something about you…"

"Damn! Would you ever listen to me?"

"… If anything happens to Steven, Lance," Wallace said in a threatening tone, "I swore, I'm going to hunt you down and let you die painfully, no matter what the consequences are."

"I'm innocent!" Lance said, "I don't know what happened to Steven! We were both investigating that building when this fucker suddenly appeared and knocked us out!"

"… Save your reasons for the judges," Wallace coldly stated, "You're going to need that later on…"

And without any other words, the two of them left, leaving the confused Lance seething with rage at the stupidity of some people.

* * *

"I have to admit, you've got one sharp young man working by your side," The silver-haired man said as he leaned back against his reclining seat.

"He's a special agent from Kanto," Steven, who had been standing across that man, replied calmly, even though his face and body posture were all tensed. "… What did you do to him?"

The man, who had introduced himself as Samuel, smiled mischievously. "He's… behind bars, I believe. But I can assure you, no harm will be done to him unless I say so."

Samuel was supposed to be the man in-charge of the Devon President's security. The sneaky man sharply-dressed in white suit may look harmless, however behind that fair complexion, he hides an evil intention. He's undoubtedly smart and calculative.

Steven clenched his fists, "Don't you dare hurt him."

Samuel ran his finger along his swept-back hair and said, "I won't hurt him Steven, I can guarantee that. But the choices you'll make later on may affect his fate greatly…"

"What do you want me to do?"

"What I want you to do, Steven, is to work for me. If you do that, I'll make sure your father and this special agent would be safe from any kind of harm."

"... What do you actually want?" Steven venomously hissed. He thought that, after all these years, he had seen the worst the Hoenn Government could offer, and yet, how wrong can he be?

Samuel smirked, "From you? Or from this whole scheme?"

"Stop messing with me!"

"... I'm doing this for Hoenn... With that device, and the power of the most powerful legendary serpent in Hoenn, we could almost do anything to Hoenn. Like changing it, for instance."

"Why would you want to change Hoenn? It's good enough as it is!"

"I think that's enough with the questions... I need you to do me a small favor. There are several parts necessary for the completion of this device, and these components happened to be kept in the Devon Corporation building. I can't possibly send your father there, who knows what he's capable of doing. And my men would look suspicious lurking around that place. So I need you to go down there and get the components, in your father's private lab."

Steven quickly realized why Samuel would go through the trouble of kidnapping him in the first place. The Devon's President private lab was located deep in a underground chamber, with its entrance cleverly hidden behind several secret passages that could be accessed by triggering several levers and buttons. The only people who know how to activate the entrance is the president himself, and Steven. They both used to spent time there, discussing about many things and creating the most absurd ideas. Those peaceful times ended several years ago.

"Why don't you go get it yourself?" Steven asked with a smirk, trying to play dumb, "I know my father had a secret lab, but no one knows how to get in there, not even me."

"... Do you believe that 'truth serum' exists?"

"In sci-fic? Yes."

"How about in real life then?"

"No."

"Well, now you'd better. Because soon, your mouth would be singing out the truth, and I hope you're not afraid of needles."

"You son of a-"

"You forced me to do it Steve... Just remember, I will always get what I wanted. Oh and don't forget, I have your father working under my dangerous watchful eyes. Who know what will happened to him if you mess around with me? Wanna try and find out?"

If Steven had his Pokemon, he would have skin that guy alive and enjoy every moment of it, however, whe he woke up after being kidnapped, he found nothing else in his possesion except for his clothing. Steven knew this guy is dangerous, but not to this extent.

Steven inhaled deeply, before finally saying, "... I'll do it... However..."

* * *

"I still can't believe Lance is a bad guy..." Sidney said as he read through the datas they managed to get from the attacked passengers' ship along with the others.

"Me neither," Brawly agreed, "He seems to be a pretty decent guy..."

"Something isn't right..." Roxanne continued, "Lance is a proffesional agent. He couldn't possibly do a crime without any good reason."

"Where did they keep him anyway?" Brawly asked.

"Last time I heard, he was put in house arrest somewhere in Pacifidlog," Sidney replied.

"His boss still hasn't come to sort things out?" Brawly asked again.

"Sadly no," Winona replied, "Captain Jake Hunter keeps on saying that he has nothing to do with the whole problem and would prefer to stay out of this. He said Lance should be capable dealing with this problem by himself."

"That's one cruel boss he got there," Sidney commented.

"I don't understand why you people are more worried about that traitor rather than our own champion," Wallace suddenly said, his voice stronger and tenser than usual. For the last few days, Wallace had totally changed personality-wise. He became short-tempered and sensitive. He snaps too often and permanently adopts a sour look on his face. Sidney theorized that Steven's disappearance is the main cause for this change, and no one actually thinks otherwise.

"Steven should be fine," Sidney assured, "He can take care of himself. He's probably waiting for the right time to show up and pose as the last-minute hero."

"Your sense of humor is not appreciated at times like this Sidney," Wallace coldly said.

Sidney sighed, knowing that there's no point in arguing with Wallace; it may turns out ugly anyway. The six of them continued working in silence, sorting out data of trainers and set aside the suspicious characters for further investigation. They had made a considerable amount of progress, but they still have yet to find the right one.

Suddenly, the Director enters the room, "Ladies and gentlemen, I've got a lead!" he victoriously declared. Six pairs of eyes quickly turn to look at him as soon as he said that. "Yesterday, an eye-witness finally came up to the police and describes one of terrorists!" He said as he held out a real-life sketch of a guy with an x-mark on his cheek. "She claims that she had been observing the suspicious movements of this guy, and claims that she saw him carrying around a silver hooded cloak!"

The six of them observed the sketch for a moment, before suddenly Roxanne cried out loudly in realization. She rummages through the pile of papers, before showing to the rest of them the data of one particular young trainer, "Gareth Finney Junior!" Roxanne reads out loud, "We've got a name!"

"Hunt him down!" Wallace quickly ordered, "I want to know his location, now!"

* * *

The afternoon in Pacifidlog Town was cool and breezy, a nice weather for diving, fishing, or any other outdoor activity that involves water and the breeze.

However one particular Champion who was under house arrest didn't find anything else interesting to do except to laze around and groom the small Gible he took under his care several months ago. It's been one week since he was put into house arrest, and no one has visited him ever since. That's to be expected, since his location was kept as a secret from the others. He wasn't even hoping for his boss to come; he knew Captain Jake too well to be hoping too much out of him. Lance knew that he has to get out of this mess sooner or later, but before doing that, he needs to find out what he's up against first.

The movement of the guards waiting outside his door had been suspicious. It was as if the three of them is ready to burst into his room and kill him if they were to be given the right signal. Lance was no doubt worried about that. His other Pokemon were still been confiscated, and he doubted that his Gible could do much damage to the three, well-trained guards out there.

The sound of the door opening snapped him out of his trains of thoughts. He glanced at the newcomer, and had to struggle real hard to keep a straight face. He sighed as he looked away. "Look who decided to come for a visit." Lance simply said as he continued spoiling his Gible. Lance knew he couldn't trust anyone anymore at times like this, not even the person who just entered. He needs to play dumb.

The grey-haired champion said nothing as he took of his travelling cloak, "… How are you doing….?" He slowly asked.

"Fine, just feeling bored." Lance flatly replied. "And you?"

"… Not too good…" Steven admitted with a low tone, "Listen, Lance… I've got something to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"Hoenn is in great danger…" Steven said, still standing by the door, "The Government is behind this. They have planned every little thing; starting from the attack of my father, the whole investigation-team as well as this house arrest."

"Well, isn't that interesting?" Lance said, sarcasm leaking out from every word.

Steven frowns, "Lance please, I'm being serious here."

"Well so am I," Lance replied, "Why don't you go on with your story-telling? I'll see if it's interesting enough."

Steven gritted his teeth, but knew Lance has every right to be mad about the situation. "... Samuel… He's the mastermind behind this. When my father created the device that could control the mind of Pokemon, he knew what he just invented could cause great disaster, and so that's why he decided to get rid of the blueprints before anyone can get their hands on it. However, when Samuel finds out about my father's plan, he knew he couldn't afford to lose such an opportunity, so he began setting up this whole scheme. He sends a group of mercenaries to attack the ship; he pretended to protect my father when he's actually threatening him to create the mind-controlling machine. He was the one who suggest the investigation Team to create a diversion. He sets you up, throw you here so that you won't interfere, and threatens to hurt you if I don't do as he says."

Lance smirked in amusement, "I like this guy already…" He commented.

"… His main purpose with this machine is yet unknown, but I think he's trying to control Rayquaza, though I'm not sure what for…"

Lance smirked, "Nice story you've got there. Sad to say, I am not amused."

"I didn't come here to amuse you," Steven raised his tone a bit.

"Who said I want you to come here anyway?" Lance countered with his calm, controlled voice. "Why do you think coming here would change your situation?"

"… Because you're the only one I can reach out to for now."

"This Samuel guy lets you come here because he knows there's nothing I can do, even if you tell me about his weaknesses," Lance pointed out. "He knows that I am stripped-off my Pokemon and weapons. They didn't even let me keep the knife. Such a pity."

"Look, I know you're stuck; I'm stuck too. But Lance, we need to think of a way out of this. If we can contact an outside person and tell them about this, then we have a chance of winning!"

"Yeah, but how?"

The room was filled with silence when Steven couldn't find anything else to say. Truthfully, he didn't expect Lance to be acting like this; its either Lance really gives up, or he has something planned already.

Lance's words finally break the silence, "I'm quitting this mission."

Steven stare at Lance in shocked, wondering if he really meant those words. However when Steven looks into those amber eyes, his worst fear is confirmed. "… You're joking…" Those words weakly escaped Steven's lips. "You can't give up… Not just yet…"

"I already did," Lance pointed out again, "Look at me now. Do I look like someone capable of helping you? Let's just face it; the unbeatable Lance that never fails in any kind of mission is now a laughing stock."

"Stop that!" Steven shouted, somehow feeling that something inside him is shattering. "You can't quit…" His voice shook as he said those words, "You're my only hope…"

"I think you're the one who should stop spouting out nonsense… There's nothing else I can do but to wait for my lawyer and get the hell out of this region." Lance meanly stated, "I'm sick of this place, I'm sick of dealing with people like you. I just want to get out of here, forget about you and all the other fuckers living here. Sorry to say, I don't want to help you anymore. Why don't you just try calling that very close friend of yours and ask for help…?" Lance's voice trailed off when he noticed Steven's teary eyes that quickly consumes the Dragon Master with immense guilt.

The Hoenn champion quickly turns around, "And I thought I could trust you…" Steven whispered loud enough for Lance to hear, before he finally gets out of the room, and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

"_I believe you're done talking with Lance?" _The sickly sweet voice came from the small device attached to Steven's right ear as he made his way back to Evergrande City on his Skarmory - The only Pokemon he was allowed to keep.

"Yes…" Steven weakly replied, still trying hard to regain his self-control.

"_Good, I suggest you to return immediately."_

What Lance just said to him several moments ago had been a hard blow. Even though Steven barely knew Lance, he knew that the Dragon Master could make the difference, he believed in him. He believed that no matter what happened, Lance would always be on his side and find a way out of every situation. Only now did he realize that his trust for the Dragon Master is baseless. There's no more denying it, he just made a fool out of himself by going to the Dragon Master for help. What can he expect for a man without his Pokemon anyway?

As he wiped away his tears, Steven determines that no matter what happen next, he's going to win this fight, without any help from Lance.

After several minutes of flying, he finally reached the abandoned building he and Lance visited several days ago. He withdraws his Skarmory, before entering the dark building. As soon as he enters, some sort of mechanism began to work, and the floor at the middle of the room slowly parts, revealing a metallic, circular plate which was supposed to bring him to the underground base**.**

As soon as the elevator reach its destination floor, Steven wasn't surprised to see Samuel waiting for him already.

Samuel, with a calm smile plastered on his face, let out his hand, and Steven reluctantly returns Skarmory's Pokeball. Even if Skarmory is with him, the chances of winning against Samuel is still slim. Steven knew Samuel is a formidable trainer that should not be underestimated.

The silver-haired gentleman gave Steven a white lab coat, before calmly saying, "Such a pity isn't it? But that's to be expected; Special Agent Lance doesn't belong in this region. There's no reason for him to risk his live just for a region he doesn't even live in."

Steven said nothing as he put on the lab coat and followed Samuel close behind through the bright, metallic hall.

"You should try forgetting him..." Samuel suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Steven, "Forget about resisting me." He continued as he inched closer to Steven, "Surrender, and join me." He brought his hand and gently caress Steven's damp cheek. "I can see it in your eyes... You're tired of fighting back... Just let yourself go for once... You won't have to resist anyone anymore. You just need to work for me... All you need is me..."

Steven said nothing, nor did he show any sign of decent emotion. It's true, he's tired, but if he stops fighting, it'll be the end for Hoenn. Automatically, he pushed aside Samuel's hand. "... I'm fighting for Hoenn..." He simply stated.

"We're changing Hoenn, for the better... Everyday, we see the same thing over and over again. Team Magma and Aqua running around, trying to destroy the region. Strong, reckless trainers trying to disturb the peace of the Pokemon. Politicians slowly corrupting this land. If we can harness the Legendary Powers, we could put an end to these retarded people and finally bring peace to Hoenn. Why are you resisting something that could bring peace to Hoenn for good?"

"... Terrorizing these people is not the right answer."

"These people only fear power. They _need_ to be terrorized. If talking some common sense into them is enough, I wouldn't be doing this."

"... No... That's not true..."

"Believe what you will Steven... In the end, I'm doing this for Hoenn as well..." Samuel said as he turned around and continue on his way.

Steven looked down as he followed him again; deep inside contemplating the words he just heard. It's true that Hoenn hasn't been in it's glorious state for several years, and that Samuel actually has a point. Hoenn is slowly collapsing under the politics and various legendary outrage that happens occasionally ever since Groudon and Kyogre were awaken three years ago. The fact that some naive trainers and Pokemon collectors thought they could harness these legendary Pokemon by force isn't helping. Hoenn isn't the peaceful region it was before.

They finally entered through a door at the hand of the hall, and inside the room, Steven was surprised to see the man he hasn't saw for the last few years.

"Steven...?" The President weakly called out to his son, not expecting him to be here out of all the places.

"Mr. Stone, as you can see, I've done nothing to your son..." Samuel said, "I'll let you talk to him, but I want the device to be done as quickly as possible. Am I understood?"

The President hesitantly nodded in reply.

"Good. I'll leave you two alone. But please remember that you are under strict supervision." Samuel said before gently pushing Steven inside and closing the door.

"Father?" Steven asked as he approached him.

"Steven!" The president cried out loud as he pulled his dear son into a tight embrace. "I was so worried about you... But, what are you doing here?"

Steven sighed quietly, "Things happened..."

From his words, the President quickly concluded that his son did not want to talk about it. He nodded in understanding, "I'm glad you're okay..."

Steven's gaze quickly fell upon the mettalic gauntlet that lays on one of the tables nearby. "Father, is that...?"

The President pulled away from Steven and gravely nodded, "Yes... The mind-control device that I've created by myself."

Steven went over to get a better look, however he was quickly baffled by the various mechanism he barely understood. It was no doubt a high-tech device which could be dangerous. "... Have you tested it?"

"Yes I did. On some small Pokemon. It works brilliantly. This thing could make Pokemon do anything we want. It's like brain-washing those Pokemon until they believe you are its master. The effect was over-whelming, no Pokemon can resist it so far."

"... Have you tested it on the Legendary Pokemon?"

"... No. That'll be Samuel's part..." He replied in a dark tone, "No matter how strong a Pokemon is, their mind is their weak point... Whether its an ordinary Pokemon, or a legendary Pokemon, they are all the same. That's what differentiate those beasts and humans..."

"You took advantage of that Nature's flaw and made this device..." Steven said as he eyed the device.

"... Yes..." He sadly admitted.

"Why would you do that?" Steven sharply asked as his blue eyes met his father's, "Why would you even think of creating something like this?"

The President avoided his son's gaze, "... We're humans, Steven... It's only natural for us to dream of revolutionizing the world..."

Steven clenched his fists, feeling sick of that reply already; feeling sick of being a part of the selfish humanity that will do anything just to change something they don't like. "You know better father! You know it's wrong! I thought you had a dream of creating a device to _understand_ Pokemon! Not to control them mindlessly like this!"

"... The moment I realized I've walk down the wrong path, is also the moment I realized that I'm too far gone. I can't turn back now... This device will be complete in just a matter of few hours…"

"We can't let him do what he wants..." Steven said after a short pause, in a much calmer tone, "We can't let him win."

"... He's too strong for us. What can we do Steven?"

"I don't know, but there's got to be something we can do!"

The president shook his head, "... I don't see any other way out. Samuel is a smart man. He has blocked every alternatives we have. There's no way out of this."

"You can't say that..." Steven softly said, trying to restrain his emotions again. "Why is everyone giving up so easily? You... Lance... Everyone..." His voice trailed off when Lance's words echoes painfully in his head.

"Steve... I'm sorry..."

* * *

The Shoal cave is a cave located at the north of Mossdeep City; an easily-accessible cave in which several wild Pokemon lives in. However in the recent years, ever since a group of trainers came and decided to settle there, the peace of the wild Pokemon were greatly disturbed. Those trainers came back and forth, settling up their camps, burning fires and causing much discomfort to the zubat.

During that particular evening, the seven trainers were all there, laughing to some crude jokes while drinking several dozens of beers.

"I agree! You should see how they scream and cry for revenge!"

"Those laughable fools! They think they could do anything they want just because they have money!"

"Oh hey! Tomorrow, since we're free, let's hunt down that dragon dude we fought the other day on that ship!"

"I hate that guy, seriously. He came down from the sky and began acting like the hero! Beating us up and diffuses all the bombs we've planted with effort! If I can get my hands on him, I'm going to make sure he'll die painfully!"

"Yeah man! I hate his guts!"

"That's the first time we ever failed in our mission."

"Yeah, but that guy from the government still pays us handsomely! And I thought he wasn't even going to pay!"

"Who is this guy, if I may know?" A sudden unfamiliar voice that interrupts their conversation quickly alerts them. The seven of them quickly took out their Pokemon and stood in a defensive formation. They looked around the cave, and was surprised to see a blue-haired man standing by the entrance, with a milotic standing by his side.

"What the fuck?"

Wallace murderously glared at the seven trainers, "Surrender peacefully. Don't provocate me to bring you down by force! You have no chance of winning!"

"Shut the hell up sissy! Mightyena, shadow ball!"

"As you wish... Milotic, don't hold back, ice beam!"

* * *

Five days…

He had been stuck for five days in that small cabin by the cliff, and the days had been nothing but a drag for him. He sat down by the firmly-locked window as his Gible slept on his lap. His eyes watched the clear blue sky with boredom, knowing that soon, the sky won't be this beautiful anymore. Steven's visit several hours ago barely affects the Dragon Master, and he acts as if Hoenn could explode at any moment, and he wouldn't even care.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something flying at a very high speed on the sky above. He was quiet for a moment, before he withdraws his Gible into its Pokeball and gets up.

The three big-built guards who were waiting and monitoring outside the cabin was alerted by his action, however decided to keep on watching instead of going in there and finds out what he's up to.

After taking out a small container from a nearby drawer, he went to the kitchen and took out several basic ingredients. The guards conclude that Lance was just about to cook something, and let their guards down. However if they have been a little bit more professional, they would have noticed the ingredients Lance took out wasn't for cooking. As Lance continued working, he gave his back to the camera, which he knew was hidden at the corners of each room.

10 minutes later, he walked out of the kitchen, with nothing in his hands but the small container he took out just now, and an apple he calmly munched. He walked over to the window again and pretended to gaze out of the window. The guards were ignorant; however their ignorance gave Lance a very huge advantage.

After finishing his apple, he mindlessly threw it aside, before taking out his bag. He wore the snow goggles he always kept in his bag, before taking a piece of hard log from the unlit fireplace.

The guards were alerted once again, "We'd better check on him…" One of them suggested.

"I think we should…" The second one agreed.

However, before they could put their plan into motion, Lance suddenly throws the log at the window with full force, and no doubt, breaks the window by doing so.

"We're going in!" The third one yelled as the three of them run into the mansion and quickly open the front door.

Lance quickly turnedwhen they entered, and adopted a disturbing smirk on his face. "I've got to go." Lance said before he shook the container he had been holding, before throwing it at them. When the container exploded and gives out a sickeningly stinging powder, they finally realized what Lance was doing in the kitchen several moments ago. They cough violently as they tried to desperately prevents the stinging powder from entering their lungs.

Lance wasted no time as he took his bag, and jumped out of the window.

One of the guards tried to catch up to him, however he was too late. When he managed to get out of the window, Lance already jumped off the cliff. There was a moment of silence as the guard thought of the worst scenario possible. Slowly, he walked over to the cliff and gaze down at the calm sea below. When he saw no sign of any dead body, he quickly looks up, only to see that a huge Dragonite is flying off towards the west, with Lance on his back.

"He got away!"

Lance smirked as he patted his beloved Dragonite affectionately, "I knew they wouldn't be able to get their hands on you…" Lance said.

Dragonite purred affectionately in reply, though his body shows some signs of minor injuries that have yet to heal from the battle five days ago. It's true that Metagross was captured during the fight without their trainer outside the abandoned building, however Dragonite, being more experienced when it comes to fighting with bad guys, decided it would be a wise choice to retreat high up to the sky. He watched as they took Lance and Steven unconscious body to different directions, and even though searching for Lance's definite location was a real time-consuming job, it's all worth it in the end.

"Good job Dragonite. The battle ahead is going to be tougher though, are you ready?"

Dragonite cried out in reply as he enthusiastically increases his speed.

However before Lance could say anything else, he noticed a speck in the horizon. He winced, trying to get a better look, "… Hey Dragonite, let's check that place out…" Lance ordered, half-hoping it would be a town so that he could heal Dragonite and withdraws some Pokemon he could use from the Pokemon Storage System. As Dragonite flew closer and closer, Lance finally realized that the tower is not a part of a town. It's just an old tower standing on some rocks, which reaches up to the sky, beyond the clouds above. He signaled Dragonite to stop as he observed the tower in amazement, wondering what kind of place is that.

His amazement was abruptly cuts-off when he suddenly hears the noises of several aircraft coming from a distance. His guts tell him that he should hide and see where those aircraft are going, and he did. He quietly told Dragonite to hide behind the tall rocks nearby and kept a close watch on those ships. To his surprise, those amphibian aircraft landed right before the ancient tower, surrounding it with its vast number.

Lance instinctively knew that this isn't something good, and his instinct was confirmed to be right all along when suddenly, the door of the biggest aircraft opens, and out came a silver-haired guy, along with Steven.

"Damn, am I too late…?"


	4. Chapter 4

**BY MY SIDE**

"The Sky Tower…" Samuel said as he looked up at the top of the tower. "This is it, Steven. This is the perfect time to prove that your father is the genius he really is…" He said as he turned his gaze at the gauntlet he's wearing on his right hand.

Steven said nothing as he watched in helplessness. Hoenn is going to fall under this man's greed, and there's nothing he can do to stop him. Absolutely nothing. The fact that he's a champion of the region also did not help him to accept his defeat. He let down everyone; Hoenn and its people, his father, his friends…

As they entered the tower, several men who had been loyal to Samuel for the past few years followed – each of them dressed in the same black bullet-proof vests and head guards, and carried with them several firearms tucked in their holsters. Firearms were supposed to be banned from the Hoenn region decades ago. How Samuel can obtain such number of firearms would only left Steven to wonder. These men are one of the reasons why Steven finds it hard to fight Samuel. They are, no doubt, well-trained and skilled in handling their weapons.

Their walk towards the top of the tower was silent, yet tiring. The number of stairs seems to be endless, yet Samuel keeps walking forward, his mind set to one goal only. When Steven almost gave up in climbing those stairs, they finally made it to the top of the tower. Exhausted, Steven was barely capable of standing up, however, he remains strong and alert. Something bad could happen at any moment, and he can't afford to get hurt just because he lets his guard down. He glanced at the three guards behind him, wondering if they show any signs of exhaustion, but was surprised to see none.

The top of the tower was empty, much to Steven's relief.

"… Rayquaza must be flying out there…" Samuel thought out loud.

Steven wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Why don't you just go back?" He suggested a bit hopefully.

"… We'll wait until it returns…" Samuel said as he walked over to the far end of the open area, enjoying the strong breeze and fresh air. "Rayquaza returns here occasionally after checking that its territory remains safe."

Steven stood there, not knowing what else to do.

"You little whelp!"

The sudden outcry of one of the soldiers suddenly alerted Samuel and Steven. When they turned around, they could hear a sickening noise produced when one out of the three soldiers breaks the leg of one of his fellow soldiers. An agonizing scream of pain ensued. The two remaining soldiers were then quickly engaged in an intense hand-to-hand combat; one of them drew out his gun, however the other one quickly took his opponent's hand, painfully twists it, before elbowing his face and knocking him out unconscious.

The only remaining soldier left picked the gun off the ground, and pointed it at Samuel. He took off his head guard, and said, "Your dream ends here, motherfucker."

Steven's eyes widened when he saw the face behind that head guard, "… Lance…?" That name automatically escapes his lips.

Samuel seems to be equally surprised as well, "… How did you…?"

"Well, Motherfucker, your men seem to have fallen for an ancient trick; pepper bombs. And I'm glad to inform you that kidnapping people, ripping off their shirts and going undercover is one of my specialties." Lance replied with a tone full of victory.

Samuel looks thoughtful for a moment, "… And I thought you're going back to Kanto… I guess one must deceive their friends, before they can deceive their enemies then… You are an amazing Agent, Lance…"

"You said it… Now, take off that device, throw it away and put your hands in the air." Lance ordered, "Do I need to inform you first that handling guns is another specialty of mine?"

"… I'm afraid that's not possible." Samuel calmly replied, "This device is the key to change Hoenn, for the better."

"The only thing it could change is your looks. You really reminds me of the eight-years old brat who lives next door to me. Annoying brat with his brand new baseball glove, going around and throwing stuffs, thinking he's a pro. Except he's not old, and isn't wearing a flashy suit." Lance sarcastically said.

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Special Agent Lance."

"That's _very_ Special Agent Lance, to you. And you, motherfucker, left me with no choice. I'm going to shoot in three…"

"…"

"Two!" Lance warned with a much louder tone.

"…"

"One!"

And as soon as Lance said that, a ridiculously loud 'bang' was heard. However when Steven saw that nothing happened to Samuel, he can only fear the worst. His gaze fell upon Lance, who's now down on his knees, writhing in pain as he held his left shoulder. With all the strength and willpower he could muster, Lance turns to look at his shooter, who happens to be the persistent bastard with the broken leg. He should've knocked that bastard out too. As quickly as can be, Lance aimed his gun at the soldier's hand, and successfully paralyzed him.

"Damn!" Lance hissed as his left shoulder began to bleed out fatally, even though his voice was muffled by the soldier's screaming.

"You we're saying?" Samuel's sweet, calm voice was soon heard when Lance felt the presence of a threatening object placed by the side of his head.

Lance carefully glanced, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a Dusclops charging a shadow ball right next to his head.

"The table's turned," Samuel pointed out in a very amused tone, "You were careless, _very _Special Agent Lance."

Lance, even though his shoulder is throbbing like hell, forced a smirk on his face, "I think I just underestimated the willpower of your men."

Steven, who had been watching all along, knew that he had to do something. When he noticed the gun lying on the ground, he did not hesitate to pick it up and pointed it at Samuel with both hands. "Hold it!" Steven warned, "If you hurt him, I won't think twice about shooting you!"

Samuel spared him a glance, knowing that the situation has gone awry. "If you shoot me… Dusclops is going to blast his head off."

Steven was then struck by the painful realization that Samuel is one hard bargainer.

"Shoot him Steven!" Lance ordered, "For the sake of Hoenn!"

"You'd better stop being so impulsive, very Special Agent Lance," Samuel said, "I'm sure we can work this out, peacefully."

"Don't try to make me laugh," Lance said, "Steven, shoot this motherfucker, on the head!"

"Don't do something you'll regret later on, Steve…"

Lance looked at Steven in the eyes, "Steven… shoot him," He said, almost begging, "This is your only chance. Your only chance to save everyone! If you don't shoot him now Hoenn is as good as dead! You _have_ to do it!"

Steven's hand shook from the pressure of the situation. Even though Lance had been acting the jerk earlier, this so-called 'jerk' came back, just to save him. Just to save a country he didn't even belong to. "I can't…"

"NOW!" Lance yelled out.

Samuel, knowing that Steven couldn't possibly shoot him, sends out his second Pokemon, "Ariados, Sonicboom!"

A wave of silvery torrent was produced by the spider Pokemon, and it was strong enough to send Steven flying to the far end of the tower.

"Dragonite! Hyper Beam!" Lance shouted as he utilize the distraction to get out of harm's way and called out for his Dragonite, whom he had specifically ordered to stay put until he was given further command. Without another moment to lose, the Dragon Pokemon suddenly came out from the side of the tower, and began shooting a powerful beam right at the ground near Samuel. The dusts and rocks fluttering about forced Samuel to close his eyes. However Lance used the chance to run to the opposite way, picked Steven up bridal-style, before making a mad dash towards the edge of the tower. Without a second thought, he jumped off the tower.

Dragonite, with its capability of travelling faster than the speed of sound, flew round the side of the tower, and catches the two falling champions before they hit the sharp rocks below. Knowing that they have no chance of winning, it quickly flew away, adjusting its speed so that its rider is comfortable enough.

Lance breathed out heavily as he lays Steven down on Dragonite's broad back. The Hoenn Champion slowly comes around, and when he opened his eyes, he was nonetheless surprise to see the Dragon Master's face so close to him. "… Lance…?"

The Dragon Master weakly smiled, "Its fine… Everything's going to be okay…"

"No! You're injured!" Steven suddenly said as he propped himself by his elbows and took a close inspection on Lance's shoulder. He was clearly shocked to see that Lance's wound is bleeding fatally. "Lance, you need to lie down!" He ordered as he shifted a little so that Lance could be at the bottom. Lance did not say anything as his gradually-weakening body began to heat up due to the trauma.

Even though Lance had spent a couple of years on gun training, he had never been shot before, and this is totally new to him. He tried remembering what his boss told him once, but finds it hard to even think, especially when his whole body is throbbing like hell. He closed his eyes, hoping that the pain would just go away.

"Hang in there! Focus on breathing slowly!" Steven ordered as he took off Lance's bullet-proof vest so that he could breathe more freely. He looks at the wound, assessing its condition, and not liking what he observed. The gunshot wound is located not far from the neck; where important arteries and blood vessels are supposed to be. The severe bleeding may be caused by the damage of one of the main arteries, and that isn't a good sign. "Dragonite, we need to get to the nearest hospital, as soon as possible!" Steven shouted over the wind as he took off his coat and applied pressure on Lance's wound.

The Dragon Pokemon, knowing that there's a chance that his beloved master could die, did not hesitate to comply with Steven's order, and in just a matter of few minutes, Sootopolis City came in sight. Dragonite finds no difficulty landing in front of the hospital and help Steven to carry Lance's body into the hospital.

The paramedics did not waster any precious moment when they saw the patient. A stretcher was quickly brought over and Lance was send to the ICU with no further questions.

"Sir, no visitors are allowed beyond this point!" One of the nurses informed him as she stopped him right before the ICU door.

Knowing that there's nothing much he could do, Steven reluctantly nodded, and head out to take care of the hospital administration, deep inside praying that Lance would be alright.

* * *

"… This is some serious charge you're pressing on, Wallace." The Director thoughtfully said as he observed the blue-haired GYM leader.

"Those mercenaries have been interrogated; they all admitted that they were paid by Samuel, the Head of Hoenn National Security, to attack the ship." Wallace repeated, with a much more serious tone. "Samuel is behind the ship's attack. He set up the whole thing. He insisted on guarding the President of the Devon so that he could get what he wants. That has to be it! There's a big possibility that he kidnapped Steven too!"

"Then what about agent Lance? He doesn't fit anywhere in your picture, Wallace."

"I hate to admit this, but maybe Lance is telling the truth," Wallace said, "Maybe he was really trapped. Besides, Samuel was the one who reported on Lance right? Lance was accused of attacking _his_ facility, right?"

"Yes."

"Director, we need to investigate this man. We need to know where he kept the president, and what Samuel's doing to him. This might be absurd, but if my theory is correct, then there's a great possibility that he's up to no good, and that Hoenn could be in danger!"

"… You'll need more proof Wallace," The Director replied.

Before Wallace could reply, the door suddenly was slammed open, "He's got all the proof he needs, Director." Steven said out loud, "Samuel is the guilty party."

Wallace's mouth gaped open when he saw the worn-out Steven standing by the door, "Steven?"

Steven walked into the office and stood right next to Wallace, "Director, Samuel is guilty of everything that happened. I've got the proofs. I am the proof!"

The Director stared at Steven in shock, not believing what he saw, "B-But you were kidnapped! What happened to you? And where have you been?"

Steven proceeds to explain about the situation, from the beginning, to the end. Throughout the story, the Director grew more and more dumbfounded, whereas Wallace kept a straight face, not even sure of how to feel when he saw his friend. He told them what Samuel planned on doing, and what happened to Lance after the short fight on the Sky Tower.

At the end of the story, the Director sighed as he leaned back on his seat, "I've got to write an apology letter to Kanto and explain the situation… And apologize to Agent Lance."

"That's not important right now," Wallace, who had been quiet throughout the story, suddenly said, "The President is still in their base. We need to rescue him as soon as possible!"

The Director looks thoughtful for a moment, before saying, "Wallace, gather all the current members of the investigation and head to their base. Steven, you go with them and rescue your father!" He finally ordered, "We need the President's help to put a stop to this man!"

"Yes sir!" Wallace said as he and Steven quickly walked out of the door, towards the Conference room, where the others are supposed to be waiting.

"Since you don't have your Pokemon, I suggest you to stay close with me, and don't do reckless things on your own." Wallace said as they walked, "Do you know where he kept your Pokemon?"

Steven nodded, "Yeah, he kept them in his office. There's going to be several armed soldiers guarding the base though, so you better watch out."

They finally reached the Conference room, however Wallace stopped right before he opened the door and looked at Steven.

"What's wrong?" Steven asked.

Wallace looked into his eyes, before suddenly; he reached out to him and hugged him tight, "… I'm just glad that you're okay…" Wallace whispered by Steven's ear.

Steven was dumbfounded for a moment, however he finally returned the hug, and said, "Thank you… Wallace."

* * *

"Hariyama, Karate Chop!" Brawly ordered his Pokemon to attack one of the soldiers.

"C'mon, is that the best you can do?" Wallace taunted, "Milotic, ice beam!"

"Never seen him getting so pumped up before," Winona said to Steven as the two watched the others clearing the base off any resisting soldier.

"… He's always excited when it comes to battles…" Steven replied.

Winona chuckled, "C'mon, let's go find your father." She said as she urged Steven to lead the way through the maze-like base. After going through a series of turns, they finally reached the laboratory where they kept the Devon's President. Winona nodded when Steven told her that the door is locked, before sending out her Skarmory and commanded, "Use Aerial ace!"

The door was broken down in no time, and much to Steven's relief, his father is still in there, alive and well.

"Steven, are you okay? Are you hurt?" The president asked frantically when he saw his son.

"Father! You need to get out of here as soon as possible!" Steven quickly said as he led his father outside, "I've managed to get help. Everything's going to be fine."

"This is my entire fault," The President grimly stated, "Hoenn is in great danger, and it's all because of me."

"We can talk about that later," Steven said, "Do you know any weaknesses of that device?"

"No… I tried installing the Self-destruct mechanism. However, Samuel was too sharp to not notice."

"Steven, I hate to interrupt, but Drake just called," Winona informed, "He and Roxanne is having a hard time fighting back the team that came back from the Sky Tower! We can't waste time, it's getting dangerous and we need to leave."

"Winona, you go with my father, and take care of him," Steven said, "I need to go and get my Pokemon!"

"Take my Skarmory for precautions!" Winona said, "Skarmory, go with Steven and make sure you protects him, okay? If anyone gets in the way, don't hesitate to bring them down for good!"

Skarmory cried out in reply as it hovers and followed Steven.

"Thank you Winona. Father, take care!" Steven said as he ran towards Samuel's office. Several soldiers tried to get in his way; however Winona's steel-bird proves to be a great ally against firearms. With its agility and devastating moves, the Skarmory took down every enemy that stood in the way. Finally, Steven reaches the office and was surprised to find the door unlocked. He slowly opened the door, peeping in to see if there's anyone in there. However when he found none, he quickly enters and rummage through Samuel's cabinets to look for his Pokemon.

After several minutes of searching, Steven finally found his Pokeball inside the table's drawer. As he happily collected them, he noticed a framed-photograph of a certain silver-haired young boy, dearly hugging an older girl. When Steven realized the boy in the picture, the gears in his head began slowly turning, and a theory suddenly popped up in his head. He took off the frame, and read the names written behind the photo;

Samuel & Fransisca.

Steven's eyes narrowed slightly at the girl's name, however when his brain couldn't find any known match, he quickly decided that he will investigate this girl later on.

Right now, he's got some battle to win.

* * *

Even though the battle looks like it has take turn for the worst when three amphibian planes landed around the building, Steven's sudden re-appearance with his Pokemon turns their situation for the better. Being the steel-type trainer, his steel Pokemon has a great advantage against those soldiers with firearms, and soon, with the help of the others as well, they managed to escape that base unharmed. Knowing that staying in Evergrande, surrounded by the government, is not a good idea; they all decided to move to Sootopolis for further discussion in Wallace's GYM.

As soon as the eight of them got comfortable in the GYM's longue, the Devon President decided to explain everything he knew about the device, which is not helping much at all.

The room fell in silence after the President speaks, before Wallace asked, "You said that this device emits special sound waves that could brain-wash Pokemon, correct?"

"Yes," The president replied.

"Then how about creating a device that could disrupt that wave?" He suggested.

The president thought for a moment, however he slowly nodded while saying, "That could be done… However… It's going to take some time…"

"That's a pretty great idea," Sidney commented, "If we could get our hands on something like that, we're going to have a chance to bring this guy down."

"I agree," Winona stated, "If you can make that device, then Rayquaza is not our main concern anymore!"

"Well, you'd better start now," Wallace told him, "We'll try to supply you with the materials you need. C'mon, there's no time to waste!"

"Yes, I'd better start working then…" The President said, "Steven, I'm going to need your…" his voice trailed off when he saw his son obvious mental absence. "Steven?"

Steven quickly looks at his father, "Ah yes? What is it?"

"Are you feeling alright?" Wallace asked, "You're distracted."

Steven shook his head, "… I'm just thinking…"

Wallace's eyes slightly narrowed, "About Lance?"

Steven reluctantly nodded, "He's undergoing the operation… You could say that I'm worried…" He muttered, "Sorry, what was it again we were discussing about?"

Wallace was quiet for a moment, before finally saying, "Just go to the hospital, Steve."

"Eh?" Steven dumbly asked.

"Go to the hospital, and see how he is doing." Wallace repeated, "We'll be fine without you…"

"A-Are you sure?" He asked as he glanced at his father.

"… If he is that important to you…" The President said, "You should go."

Steven bit his lower lips for a moment, before he finally stood up and said, "I'll be back as soon as I can!" He said before he rushes out of the GYM, to the Sootopolis Hospital.

Wallace watched as the Hoenn Champion left through the door, wondering deep inside if he just made a huge mistake of letting him go. He sighed quietly as flicked his bangs, "Okay, to work!"

* * *

The white hall of the Sootopolis hospital was teeming with people, nurses and doctors, going back and forth or just waiting for their loved ones. Steven walks through the crowd, and sometimes, people began to whisper behind his back and points at him, because they knew who he is. Finally he reached the room at the end of the hall, before finally going in. He slowly opened the door to see if the person inside the room is awake or not. However, he was quiet disappointed when he saw the Dragon Master still sleeping peaceful with several medical equipments attached to him.

With a sigh, he entered the room and gently closed the door behind him. He stared at the Lance's sleeping form, before going over to him and placed his hand on Lance's forehead. His fingers run through his messy red-hair slowly, "Lance…" he called out to him softly, hoping that he will wake up soon.

"So, how are you feeling?"

The sudden question nearly made Steven jumped back in surprise. He wanted Lance to wake up soon, but not this soon "Y-You-! You're-!"

Lance chuckled as he opened his eyes, "Yes, I'm very much awake Steve…" he said with a smirk on his face.

Steven stared for a moment, before breathing out loudly, "Oh… Thank goodness you're alive…"

Lance smiled, "I don't die easily." He stated as he turned his gaze out of the window. "Though I admit, this is the first time I've experienced a near-death situation…"

Steven took a seat at the edge of the bed and observed him for a little while, "… First time huh? You scared me you know…"

"I'm fine now," Lance said as he looked at Steven again, however was quiet surprised to see the calm look on Steven's face replaced by a melancholic one.

"... Why...?" Steven's voice shook as that word escapes his lips, "Why do you ask me to shoot...?"

"Why don't you shoot?" Lance asked back, "You could've save Hoenn..."

"At the price of your live?" Steven raised his tone, "Do you really think I could do that?"

Lance thought for a moment, before sighing, "… Sorry… I shouldn't be saying that, huh? Now that I am alive and all…"

"You know you shouldn't!" Steven nearly shouted, "Don't you even-!" Steven turned around to avoid looking at him. He took a deep breath as he ruffled his hair roughly, trying to calm himself down. Why is he so mad at him anyway? "… Can't you stop being so… stupid? I came all the way here, just for this." He pointed out loudly as he looked at him again, "For a suicidal man who doesn't care if he's alive or dead!"

"And now you're exaggerating things…" Lance said as he rolled his eyes. "And you know what Steve? You're just a messed up guy who couldn't make up his mind! If I were in your position, I would've pulled the trigger before he even knew I was holding the gun!"

"Well, sorry if Hoenn has nothing much to offer except for a messed-up, untrained guy like me who could only be in your way!"Steven snapped. "And sorry if I got you into this situation! You're free to go back to your region now, Lance! I don't care! You should just go back to Kanto, and leave me be the moment you've got the chance!"

"And do you know, why the fuck would I come back?" Lance said as he raised his tone.

"Because you're a guy with a lot of pride! And I know you Lance; you have a hero-complex!" Steven pointed out, "I've read it all in the 10 different magazines that features an article about you as their main highlight!"

"So you're playing the judge now, just because you've read articles about me written by some love-struck reporters? If you're still half as smart as the guy you originally were, then tell me; is it wrong for me to want to protect the man I fell in love with?"

Steven didn't have to hear those words twice to understand what Lance really meant by those words. He could only stare at the younger Champion with the word 'shocked' written all over him.

Lance sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, "… I know that you're in love with someone else; I know you just want sex from me, but I couldn't help it. You keep making me worry for no good reason. I tried forgetting you, I tried moving on, but I couldn't. You're driving me mad, you're always there in my head… And if it's not love, then I've gone completely insane."

"…"

"When I saw you landing at the Sky Tower with that guy, all I could think of is how to save you from him. I never even think about getting backups, or my other Pokemon. I acted without thinking, because I was so worried about you… And in the end, even if I got shot… As long as you're safe, it's all worth it…"

"Idiot…" Steven finally said with a shaky tone, "You don't understand anything…" He paused for a moment, before finally continuing in a much louder tone, "Don't you know how pathetic you sound? Why do you have to say something like that at moments like this? Just so you know, I don't like being gay Lance, unlike you! But… What can I do about it…?"

"You're living in denial then!"

"I am not normal Lance! We're not normal!"

"I feel normal! I live, I breathe, I save people, I fell in love! What is not normal about that?"

"A man isn't supposed to fell in love with another man!"

"I fell in love with you, and there's nothing wrong with that! There's nothing wrong with it Steve. Love isn't just what you think it is... It goes much deeper than that..."

"Fuck this! It's stupid for me to come here in the first place! Just go back to Kanto, and never come back!" And that was the last thing he said before he left the room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Lance could only stare, before he breathed out loudly, "… Damn…"

* * *

As Steven slammed the door shut behind him, he was quickly surprised by the sight of Wallace and his own father standing across the door, with a very serious look on their faces. He held back the urged to cry as he leaned against the door, "… What were you guys…?" His voice, however, could not conceal the agony he's feeling inside, and he has to close his mouth to prevent himself from having another emotional outburst.

Wallace was the first to speak, "… The director sent me here… He said your father needs a quick check up before he could start the new project… And I just thought, we should see how Lance is doing too…" He explained, concern smeared all over his voice.

"… Steven…" The President of the Devon Corporation said, "… Do you want to talk about it?"

"No…" Steven replied, his voice cracking, "I'm fine…"

"No you're not." Wallace countered, "… Steve, just tell us… I'm your best friend, and this man is your own father. We're worried about you…"

Steven breathed out loudly, before stating, in a much calmer tone, "Don't be… I'll be fine…"

Wallace was about to say something else, when suddenly, the president walked up to his son, and without another word, hugged him. Steven was quiet surprised by the contact at first, but returned the hug anyway.

"… You've grown up Steve…" The President whispered by his ear, "But you will never be old enough to fool your own father…."

It took Steven a few moments to let the words sink, and finally, the dam broke. "… I just don't know…" He whispered in between his sobbing as the tears rolled down his check again for the second time that day. He has to admit, he's getting really emotional recently. "I don't know…"

"… He's a nice man…" The President replied, "And I may not know him, but he seems to be pretty much reliable…"

"No dad… you're against it… from the very start," Steven said, as his shoulders shook slightly, "I'm a wreck… I'm a disappointment…"

"No Steve, you're not," The President tried to assure; "I told you didn't I? I'm very proud of you, no matter what you do. Yes, I was against it at first but… I've done a lot of reading, research… I even go to the psychiatrist Steve, for advice, and you know how I think about them."

"… Smart people who were too lazy to do actual research…?"

"Exactly… And I'm doing all of it, because I want to understand you. I want to understand what it is you're thinking of, what you want, how do you really feel… In the end, I just thought that I might just let you do what you want, and let time help me instead…" The President paused, letting the words sink, before continuing, "… No matter what you do, you will always be my son. I don't care if you like men, or women, or both… Steve, I just want to go back to those times where we would discuss our common interests back in our lab… Have tea... And programmed that video game we were planning..."

Steven buried his face in his father's shoulder and cried harder, unable to restrain the emotional dam anymore. He wasn't sure the real reason as to why he was crying in the first place. It's either because of the commotion with Lance earlier, or his father's words. Whichever it is, after crying, he has to admit that he felt a lot better, even though tired.

* * *

After the whole commotion in the hospital, Wallace volunteered to drive Steven and his father back to Steven's house. Steven quickly fell asleep even before they reached their destination, and Wallace had to go through the trouble of carrying him to his room. As Wallace gently put down his friend on his bed, he couldn't help but to be tempted by the sight of the innocent little fox. His mind wandered back to the very first night he found out his best friend was gay; he could barely sleep that night. Lucky for him, the director called at the right time for a new job, which ultimately succeeded in taking his mind off Steven.

Wallace brushed Steven's hair gently, before placing a gentle kiss in his forehead, "… Unbelievable little fox…" He muttered with a smirk as he walked out of the room, and gently closed the door behind him.

As soon as he exited the room, his gaze fell upon the president, who was sitting on the couch and designing the new device on several piece of papers. The President looked up from his work, "Still asleep?"

Wallace nodded as he walked over and sat across the President, "Like a baby."

The President took off his glasses and sighed, "… The situation today really reminds me of the day when my wife and I got a divorce…" he said nostalgically as he looked at cream-colored wall with a distant look in his eyes, "It was on his seventh birthday, we had this big fight over something I couldn't remember… In several minutes, we decided we couldn't stand each other anymore, and so, we agreed to end our relationship right there and then. The divorced papers were quickly signed, and she was out of the house in no time, bringing with her nothing except for a few personal belongings… I could still remember how Steven cried that night, isolating himself in his room… I thought that I should just let him be, I thought he could get through it… But I was wrong… that was the very first parenting mistake I've ever made…"

"Letting him go through all of those emotional pains alone?"

"That, and the divorce." The President replied, "But I think it was my wife who suggested the divorce… Because several weeks later, I found this wedding invitation in my mailbox. She's getting married with another man I didn't know. She must've been planning the whole thing for quite some time…"

"… She was cheating on you then."

"I was so caught up with work that I barely notice. Our relation has lost its spark, and I doubt using Steven as a reason to stay together was valid… Ever since the divorce, I indulged myself in more work, that's my mistake number two… He became a very lonely young lad, who barely gets out of his room… As he grew older though, he began getting involved with my work more and more, and that's where our relation as a father and son finally sets-off… Before that, there was barely anything…"

"When did you find out that he's… not straight?"

"Three years ago, he seduced the son of a man I don't like, and it was caught by one of the security camera. I was so furious back then when I found out…"

Wallace frowned slightly, "What was it that you were so furious about? The fact that he's gay? Or the fact that he's doing it with the son of a man you hate?"

"… Both…"

"And you never even attempted to talk to him about this?"

"… I barely know what to do. I am a lousy parent, even now…" There was a short pause, before the President asked, "This Lance guy… He sounds pretty decent to me… And I think I've heard his name mentioned in the media before… Personally speaking, what do you like about him, Wallace?"

Wallace thought for a moment, before saying, "I didn't know much about him either… All I know is that he's an impulsive, reckless young man yet at the same time, he could be smart, witty and intimidating. I wouldn't say I like him, but… He's a great person."

The President sighed as he picked his papers and continued to work, "… No matter what happened, please continue to look after him, okay?"

"… I'm his best friend, it's what I'm supposed to do."

"... If you don't mind me asking, what's your sexual orientation?" He suddenly asked.

Wallace stopped breathing for a few moment as he thought over that question for several moments, before breathing out loudly and looked nervously around the room, "Well... I was originally straight..."

"Was?" The president asked again, looking really suspicious.

Wallace bit his lower lips, before finally saying, "... Things happened for the past few days... I found out that Steven was not straight several weeks ago, and... it kind of makes me think."

"About your sexuality?"

Wallace replied with a nod, "... We've been together for five years, and that just makes me wonder, you know..." He shrugged, feeling nervous about talking it with Steven's father. "Steven... is a nice man... We get along, we listen to each other... I get jealous over him... And when I heard he was kidnapped, I... went ballastic... So yeah, if I think about it... Maybe there's a possibility that..."

"You're attracted to him?"

"... You may not like the sound of that. And anyway, I'm not really a hundred percent sure about it, so... Don't worry too much about it." Wallace tried to assure.

The President observed him for a few moment, "... Believe me, I've heard worse things in the past few years. I don't think I'll mind... just make sure you won't hurt him. That boy has gone through a lot in life... Mostly due to my fault..." He admitted heavily.

Wallace nervously smirked, "I won't..."


	5. Chapter 5

**BY MY SIDE**

He wasn't sure if it was day, or night. However, when Steven noticed the smell of something burning coming from his kitchen, he couldn't help but to literally jumped out of bed and dashed for his kitchen. He panicked for several seconds, however when he saw Wallace standing there in the kitchen, wearing an apron and frying up something that doesn't look edible, he quietly sighed in relief.

"What are you doing?" Steven demanded loudly.

Wallace shushed him as he pointed at the President who was sleeping on the couch. Steven quickly understood, and walked up next to him as he tried to inspect whatever it is that Wallace was trying to cook.

"I was trying to cook something for breakfast okay," Wallace said as he scratched the back of his head, "I rarely cook so..."

Steven turned off the stove and dumped the sizzling pan in the basin, "Next time, maybe you should consider the toaster," Steven said as he turned on the tap.

"Well, I'm sorry okay?" He said with an apologetic look on his face, "I was trying to be nice..."

Steven sighed, "Don't ever come to my kitchen again, for the sake of everyone."

"I'll try to remember that."

"I'll toast some bread instead," Steven said as he took out the toaster from one of the cabinets and began working on the bread. As he worked, Wallace stood by his side, observing and doing nothing in particular. Steven glanced at his father, who was sleeping peacefully on the couch, "... Did he work the whole night?"

"Who? Your father? Oh yeah, right. He had been working since yesterday and fell asleep just an hour ago." Wallace answered, somehow his tone sounding a little nervous.

"... Thank you, for watching over him..." Steven sincerely stated.

"It's nothing... He's an important part of this, it's my job to look out for him."

"How about you? Did you get enough rest?" Steven asked as he placed the bread in the toaster, and turn to look at him after he did so. "You look kind of tired. How about coffee?"

"Sure. You know the ratio of the milk and the coffee, right?"

Steven smiled as he turned to get the coffee and boil the water, "Three to one, I remember."

Silence ensued as Steven waited patiently for the water to boil. Something unsettling began to crept up in his mind, and the series of event that happened yesterday quickly filled up his mind. Steven thought for a moment, before saying, "... So... How long has it been?" he finally asked.

"... Say what?"

"... How long has it been?" Steven repeated, deep inside wondering if it was a good idea to bring the topic up so early in the morning.

"You need to be more specific." Wallace said as he took off his apron, though he was quiet certain about what Steven was referring to.

Steven shrugged, "You know, with the fact that I'm... Homosexual and all... How did you find out?"

Wallace thought for a moment as he leaned back on the counter next to Steven, "... You probably don't want to know."

Steven shot him a look, "Cut that crap and just tell me, okay? I'm... concerned."

Wallace look him in the eyes, "You really want to know?" Steven replied with a nod, and Wallace knew he just couldn't avoid this one, "Remember that night several days ago when I told you I broke up with Winona? We were both... No, you were drunk, and..."

The Hoenn Champion facepalm, "... I told you... Something embarassing?"

Wallace shrugged, "Something like that..."

Steven moaned as he suddenly gets the urge to bang his head on the wall, "... Oh god... What did I told you...?"

"... It's kind of hard to explain..."

"Stop that... Stop ... just tell me! You're seriously killing me here."

"... You seduced me." Wallace dropped the news like a bomb.

Steven abruptly froze, cold sweat began forming on his forehead. He could not believe what he just heard, "... Are you... joking...?" He weakly asked in a whisper barely audible.

Wallace glanced nervously at the younger man, before fixing his gaze on a painting hung on the wall in the adjacent room, and said, "... No... You did..."

Steven banged his head against the counter and repeatedly cursed, although his face is flushing red. How could he believe it? He seduced his own friend, his long time crush, and he didn't even know? And why did Wallace keep quiet about it? Is he too embarassed to talk about it? Or did he do something unspeakable? It's no wonder Wallace had been acting awkwardly around him ever since that night.

"Damn... I must be really disgusting..." Steven said with a dark tone.

"No you weren't!" Wallace said a moment too quickly. "I mean, you were drunk, and gay... So its natural. I mean, people has their own needs and their own ways to satisfy their needs, and yours happen to be... With guys." His voice trailed off when he realized he had strayed off the main point.

"... You weren't disgusted...?"

"No. I'm cool." Wallace simply replied, not knowing what else to say.

Steven sighed as he took the toasted bread, placed it on a plate and left it on the counter, "... I'm… Glad to hear that…"

Steven sighed out as he tried to sort out his thoughts and calm himself down. Everything seems to happen so fast, and he barely knew how to adjust himself to everything around him. As he served the toasts and coffee on the table, Wallace sat down by the dining table and decided to ask, "... How's Lance...?"

Steven was quickly reminded of the small incident that happen the other day when he heard that name mentioned. He paused for a moment, before replying in a whisper, "He'll live..."

Wallace shifted slightly in his seat, "That's good to hear... I didn't get a chance to see him yesterday... and... He is a... An amazing agent..." Wallace's trailed off when he noticed the uneasy look on Steven's face. He sighed as he twirls his hair thoughtfully for a moment, before finally saying, "Don't you like him?" He straightfowardly asked.

Steven sighed out heavily, "... That... I… Just…" He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, "… He's a great guy… Amazing, just like you said… But, we don't have the spark in our relationship..." Steven stated as he shrugged, "We… did things, a lot of things together but… I just can't bring myself to like him."

"Don't you ever try to talk with him…? Get to know each other?"

"… Once, twice maybe…"

"And that's it?"

"That's it." Steven confirmed, wondering if it sounds wrong.

"So… What do you know about him…?"

Steven thought for a moment, before it finally came to him that he barely knows anything about Lance. The dumbfounded look on his face gave Wallace the urge to do a facepalm, however he held himself back. The Hoenn Champion bit his lower lips, feeling rather disturbed about the whole thing. What does he really knows about Lance? The more he thought about it, the more he felt guilty for everything he said the other day, especially knowing that what he said was not pleasant.

Steven shook his head again, "… Let's just not talk about him…"

"Well fine, if that's what you want… maybe I should let you know that the Director is sending him back to Kanto as soon as the doctor permits him to move around."

"… It's for the best…"

* * *

"We sincerely apologized for the misunderstanding, agent Lance," The Director said.

Lance rolled his eyes, "Stop apologizing, I am completely fine."

"... We've contacted the Kanto Inter-regional Security Service about this... You're injured right now, and I believe it's best for us to send you back to Kanto..." He said as he placed Lance's Pokebelt on the table nearby, "And here, your Pokemon. We took good care of them, don't worry…"

"Thank you… For taking good care of them… I'll be leaving as soon as possible then."

"Do you want to say goodbye to the others? I can arrange a small farewell party; as a sign of our appreciation to your hardwork as well."

"They're busy, I'd rather not disturb them."

"Are you sure?"

"I've done nothing much for this mission either. I dropped out before this mission is over... The best I can do is to leave without causing much further distraction."

"... I understand. If that's what you really want... But just to let you know, you've been a great help. You are an irreplaceable part of the team, and we're looking forward to working with you again…"

"Same here."

* * *

As Dragonite took off from the land of Hoenn towards the skies, Lance couldn't help but to be a little anxious about aerial travel, especially when he knew that a certain someone is out there, probably riding on Rayquaza. However he had enough bad experience with airplanes and airline companies to actually ride on one of those things again.

"Let's just go home Dragonite," Lance instructed, "See if Clair can let us rest for several days… I'll turn over those reports to Kanto next week…"

Dragonite eyed his master with concern, but said nothing as it focused its attention on flying at a comfortable speed for its master. Dragonite knew his master hadn't been doing well for the past few days, and flying at a very high speed could only worsen his mood. For a Pokémon who had been under Lance's care for almost two decades, Dragonite knows very well what to do and what not to do at a certain situation.

"Dragonite," Lance suddenly said when they were flying over the vast ocean, "Go faster."

The Dragon Pokémon was confused, but complies to his order anyway.

"… A lot faster, we're being pursued…" Lance said as he took out his goggles and put them on. Even though he speaks very calmly, Dragonite knew the situation is far much more urgent. Dragonite was going to take a quick glance behind; however, he was surprised to see the head of a green serpent suddenly appearing next to him. On top of the serpent's head was a rider, dressed in white suit, and bore with him a silvery, metallic gauntlet in his right hand.

Lance glanced at its rider, "… Dragonite, kick it up a notch!" he ordered loudly over the wind, while at the same time, not liking the smirk pasted on the rider's face. However, Rayquaza kept up a good chase, and even though Dragonite could easily out-fly the serpent, he was worried that Lance's human body couldn't handle the excessive backward force created by the air resistance. "I really should get that aerial helmet…" Lance muttered to himself, knowing that the situation isn't looking good. The only thing he could do now is to take advantage of the element of surprise, "… Dragonite… Hyper Beam!" He suddenly shouted the command, and Dragonite wasted not a second to suddenly come to a stop, and fire the destructive white beam.

Even though they were always training their timing and power, one thing that Lance overlooks so far is the accuracy of the attack. As far as he's concerned, Hyper Beam blow things up, whether it missed its target or not. And now he wished he wasn't so naïve.

The Rayquaza did not attack back; however, it began flying around Dragonite, eying him with much hungriness in its eyes. Lance took off his goggles, and glared at Samuel, "What the fuck do you want?"

Samuel shrugged, "I was just flying around, when I suddenly saw you. I thought it might be good to catch up with you and… chat."

Lance rolled his eyes, "I have no time for you."

"What makes you say that?" Samuel asked, "Are you busy poking into other people's business again?"

"Maybe you're the one who should stop poking into my business, motherfucker."

"For your information, I have a name. And it sounded quiet rude every time you call me with that name."

"_It is _rude."

"… Did I ever tell you that you're not very likeable?" Samuel asked as Rayquaza keeps on flying round and round Dragonite.

"No one ever told me I'm likeable. What difference would it make if it comes from you?"

"Well, very soon, my opinion is going to matter, a lot."

"Oh please, just because you ride a big, green serpent?"

"A legendary serpent," Samuel corrected, "One that even Groudon and Kyogre fears. With its power, who do you think can get in my way?"

Lance turned his gaze into Rayquaza's eyes, and as he maintains eye contact, he did not say anything else in reply.

"… No one can get in my way, Lance…" Samuel proudly stated, "Not even you, not even your friends… Soon, everyone will fear my name..."

"Not if they can stop you…" Lance said, still not taking his eyes off Rayquaza's.

"And how? How can they stop me?"

"They'll find their way around… I believe that they're a lot smarter than you, and can find a way."

"… You're naïve, did anyone ever tells you that?"

"Quite a lot, actually… but it's what kept me alive so far…"

Samuel chuckled to himself, before finally saying, "… Well, your 'so far' ends right here, right now…"

* * *

The next two days, the Hoenn team worked hard together to get the new device done. Everyone put high hopes on this device, however, Steven knew that there's still something unsettling about their plan. Probably he was paranoid that it all might go down the drain, because he kept on thinking about the worst scenario possible. He tried making up several backup plans, but just couldn't get it right. It's a legendary Pokemon they might be up against, and what can they do if worst is to come? Fighting back with their team of ordinary Pokemon is out of the question.

Steven puts his hands in his pocket when he was about to take out his phone, however, he was nonetheless surprised to find a piece of paper stuck in there. When he took it out, he realized that it was the photo he took from Samuel's office.

Fransisca.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he sat by his computer and began searching through the National Database. And after several minutes, he got the full data of that girl. Turns out the pretty blonde-girl is very much alive, and is living happily in Kanto. Steven observed her picture for a moment, before taking his coat and head out of his room. However that's when he heard Wallace yelling at the phone.

"Look lady, I don't know who you are, but if I do, I'm going to make sure you go to some school before you even think of opening that mouth!" Wallace shouted.

Steven glanced at his father, who could only watched Wallace fuming over the phone, which only piles up to Steven's curiosity.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know where he is! All I know is that you need to learn some manners! Are you even a woman? Next time, clear your facts before calling the wrong person! He is not with us! Goodbye!" And with that, Wallace hung up.

"_What_ was that?" Steven asked.

Wallace muttered something under his breath, before finally replying, "I don't know, the weirdest thing happen just now…" He slowly said, "A random _bitch_ just called me… She keeps on yelling at me, and keeps asking about… Lance… That was really weird… I thought Lance went back to Kanto…"

Steven heart skipped a beat, "He was supposed to…"

Wallace was suddenly struck by the realization that something isn't right, "… He didn't come back to Kanto, or Johto… That bitch named Clair told me so… Something must have happened to him. The Director said he insist on leaving on his Dragonite… Do you think…?"

"No, he's just probably staying over at some other place…" Steven said as he shook his head, "He does that often; disappearing without any trace."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." Steven replied, "I need to go to check something over at Kanto, I'll inform you if anything happens."

* * *

As Steven ride on his Skarmory to Kanto, he just couldn't take his mind off the fact that something bad might have happened to Lance, even though Lance often disappear without any notice. He tried to assure himself that Lance is probably recovering somewhere else, and is probably relaxing at the moment, however, his guts say otherwise. He has a bad feeling, but just couldn't understand why he was so worried.

After flying for several hours, Cinnanbar island finally came in sight, Steven checked the address for one last time, before finally knocking on the door. Luckily, the door was opened by the person he expected to see.

"Fransisca Rossary?" Steven asked.

The fair, young woman nodded in reply, "Yes, what can I help you with?" She asked with her soft tone.

"My name's Steven Stone. I came here to ask about your brother, Samuel."

Sensing that this is something serious, the blonde signaled Steven to entered her house, and directed him to sit in the living room. After serving the tea and cookies, Fransisca finally settled and began to talk, "... How's Sam doing?"

"He's healthy, however..."

"He got himself into a big trouble, am I right?"

"... Yes. He's in a big trouble..."

Fransisca sighed as she tucked her silky hair behind her ear, "... Mr. Stone, I-I... I don't know what to say about him. He's... I know this day will come, but..."

"Ma'am, please calm down, and tell me what's wrong with him..." Steven tried to assure, "Maybe what you can tell us will make a difference between life and death."

Fransisca took a deep breath, "Mr. Stone... My brother... He's a psychopath."

And at that moment, everything fall into place...

* * *

After talking to Fransisca for a good amount of time, he left the house and quickly returned to Hoenn to report on his findings.

To say that Steven was angry would be an understatement. He was furious; furious at the fact that to Samuel, everything was just a game instead of a plan of changing Hoenn for the better. Steven knew exactly what a psychopath is. A mentally unstable person with intelligence, unrealistic dreams, charms and desire for chaos. So in the end, to Samuel, everything is just a game; a game that he envisioned to end in chaos. And what's the purpose for that chaos aside from suffering? Nothing, because all Samuel wanted to see from the start is the suffering only. He had no other motives but to hurt other. And to think he had gone this far just to do something like that...

He was so lost in thought that he barely noticed the man stranded on a small island in the middle of the vast sea, who had been shouting out for him. Skarmory needed to cried out loudly to capture his master's attention. When Steven finally noticed, he did not think twice to direct his Skarmory down towards the island.

From the way the bearded middle-aged man dressed, Steven conclude that he is a fisherman. Fishermen were not a rare sight in the vast Hoenn seas when the water Pokemon were bountiful. However, its rare to see a fisherman stranded on an island, asking for help.

"Oh hey! Good thing I managed to get you down here!" The man quickly said, "I just wanted to warn you that you'd better not fly too high!"

Steven made a face, and fight back the urged to growl in frustration, "... Why?" He asked, trying not to sound irritated.

"Well, sorry if I'm bothering, but I'm doing this for your own good! Just so you know, several days ago, someone flying around these parts was attacked!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! And guessed what attacked him! It was Rayquaza! The legendary Pokemon of Hoenn! Man, I've never seen it before, only saw them in children storybooks, but I saw this one for real! No kidding!"

Steven's literally stopped breathing when he heard Rayquaza mention. The world around him began to sway. He leaned against Skarmory to gain support, unable to bring himself to ask that one dreadful question, but he needed to know.

"Hey dude, are you alright there? You look kind pale."

Steven breathe deeply, before finally asking, "... You said someone was attacked..."

"Yeah! Unlucky lad! He was heading toward Johto when suddenly Rayquaza catches up and literally beat him up! You should have seen the battle! Even though I'm not trainer, I've got to admit, he put up quiet a fight against a legendary Pokemon... Never saw that lad again after Rayquaza blew him away... Wonder if he just crossed Rayquaza's territory. I mean, all Pokemon are a bit protective about their territory, and Rayquaza's territory must be the sky, since it keeps on flying all the time..."

"Did you see the Pokemon this man is riding?" Steven weakly asked, although he knew for sure that he's not going to like the answer.

"Umm... I don't know. Never seen it around before... But it was supposed to be quiet big, and orange... With tiny wings... I don't know man, it was quiet far away, so I couldn't get a good look."

"... Dear Guardian of Hoenn..." Steven muttered under his heavy breathing, "... Give me strength..." he said as he climbed onto Skarmory, and quickly motioned it to fly away.

"Hey, you're welcome!" The fisherman shouted, however, Steven was too occupied in his thoughts to even glanced back.

There's a big possibility that Lance is dead; and to think the last words Steven ever said to him was to never return to Hoenn, he felt like killing himself right there and then. Few minutes later, Skarmory landed in front of Steven's house. Without even withdrawing his Skarmory, Steven dashed into his house.

"Steve, got any news?" Wallace asked when Steven entered the room, but did not manage to get an answer out of him as the Hoenn Champion dashed into his own room and slammed the door behind him. Wallace blinked, and glanced at the President.

"Something must have happened," The President commented, "... Why don't you see what's wrong?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Just go Wallace, you're his friend, right?"

"But you're-" Wallace abruptly stopped, and sighed, "Okay, okay… This doesn't look good though…" Wallace said as he went over to Steven's room and opened the door, "Hey Steve? Did something happen?"

Wallace was completely speechless when he saw the Hoenn Champion kneeling down on the balcony, and from the sobbing, he could tell that Steven was crying. Wallace closed the door behind him and sighed, before slowly walking over to him and held Steven by his shoulder. "Steve, what's wrong…?" He softly asked as he kneeled down next to his best friend.

"No… I'm fine…" Steven choked out those words in between his sobs.

"Just tell me what's wrong!" Wallace raised his tone, "I had enough of you trying to tell me that everything's fine, when obviously, it's not!"

Steven buried his face in his palm, "… He's… He's… Lance…"

Wallace was quickly alerted when he heard the name, especially after he got that strange phone call in the morning, "… What happened to him?"

"… Dead…"

The GYM leader was nonetheless shocked when he heard those words, "How's that possible?" he demanded.

"… He-He was attacked… By R-Rayquaza…"

"No way…" Wallace whispered, "H-How did you know? Who told you this?"

However, Wallace question remained unanswered as Steven kept on crying his eyes out. Not knowing what else to do, Wallace wrapped his arms around Steven, and gently whispered, "… We've got to be strong Steve… This is only the beginning…"

Wallace's word did not help Steven, however he did his best and can only hope that soon, Samuel is going to pay for everything he had done. Wallace gently strokes his gray hair and whispers encouraging words. He couldn't recall his friend being such an emotional person, but perhaps, it is one of the things Steven have been hiding from him, and even probably the whole world.

Steven looks in to Wallace's eyes, before reaching out to his face and gently kissed Wallace on the lips. The kiss began to get much more intense the moment Steven began to use his tongue. Wallace had to gather all his self-control and common sense, before he could finally stopped the younger Champion. "No, don't." Wallace said.

Wallace falls back as Steven pushed him down; he was so confused, he barely knows what to do. A part of him wanted this, but the other part keeps on telling him that this is all wrong. Steven just lost someone he unknowingly cares about, and Wallace knew he does not have the right to take advantage of him. But with Steven being so pushy, can he resist?

Steven began attacking Wallace's lips again, forcing the older man to give up to temptation. However Wallace remains strong, and with all his strength, he pushed Steven down, and straddle himself on top of Steven, "Stop this, you're not thinking right!"

"I can't!" Steven exclaimed, "I can't think of anything right now!"

"Do you think sex is the answer then? Steven, how could you be so low?"

"… I just want to forget…"

"If Lance was here, he wouldn't agree to this!"

"Why do you have to bring him up?" Steven shouted.

"Because I know why you're so frustrated Steven! I know you love him!"

"No I don't!" Steven quickly denied.

"Don't give me that crap! You were calling his name every time you were unconscious! Like the night when you got drunk in front of me and tried to seduce me! Or the night when I brought you home from the Sootopolis Hospital! Go ask your father! He was there! He heard you calling out his name in your sleep!"

"That doesn't mean anything!"

Wallace growled, "Lance was right! You're living in denial!" Wallace shouted, "Open your eyes Steve! Listen to your heart!"

Steven bit his lower lips, trying hard to restrain his emotion. He shut his eyes tight, "... He was the first to tell me that he loves me, even if I'm such a wreck..." His voice cracked slightly as he said those words. "He loves me, even if I... Even if I was..."

"There, now you admit it," Wallace said, with a much calmer tone, "You love him..."

And Steven couldn't deny that fact anymore. He closed his eyes with his arms, and silently grieve for the loss of his first love...

* * *

Wallace couldn't exactly remember when was the last time he had ever lost someone dear to him. The last one would've been the death of his parents, however it happened so many years ago that he could barely recall how many days it took for him to recover from the grieving and shock. It must have taken at least a week, because when someone close to you died, you can't help but to question the life you had.

What is the purpose of this life? Why do we live? And what is there after death?

Steven had been trying to restrain his emotions quiet well, but that's what Wallace is worried about. Steven always restrained his emotions; in life, in Pokemon battles, at work... It's good, because he would make decisions based on logical thinking instead of those emotions. However, Steven himself turns into a ticking time bomb by doing so, ready to burst into nothingness given the right trigger.

"It's done..." The President said as he displayed the result of his endless hard work for the last one week to Wallace.

Wallace inspects the small bracelet-like device in his hand, and tried fitting it in his hand, "... Is it fully-functional?"

"I don't know... I haven't tested it yet, but I'm sure it'll work." The President replied.

"I trusted your capability..." Wallace said, "Okay then, all that's left to do is find this psychopath's location, and bring him down for good."

"Do you have any plan other than just charging blindly with that device in hand?"

Wallace nodded, "Yeah, I have several backup plans. The Elite four are notified about this already. We're going to need all the help we can get..."

However suddenly, Wallace's phone rang. He quickly answered the phone, and before he could say anything else, the person on the other hand shouted;

"_Wallace! The Evergrande! It's under attack!"_

Wallace was quickly alerted, "Wait, what?"

"_Samuel, and Rayquaza! They're destorying the Evergrande as we speak! Wallace, for the sake of Hoenn, please tell me you're ready for this!"_

"Yes Director, I'm on my way! Hang in there!" And with that, Wallace hung up.

"... Wallace, has it...?" The president asked.

Wallace nodded as he dialled the numbers of the others, "... Hello Sidney? Get ready, the time has come... Evergrande city, now!"

* * *

The weather over the Hoenn region suddenly turned gloomy for an obvious reason. Steven opened his eyes after another long and sleepless night, to the sight of the thick dark clouds and lighting. He slowly sits up, and stared outside for a few moment, before finally getting up and walked outside his room. He saw his father standing by the window as well, somehow looking concerned about the weather.

The President quickly noticed Steven, "... Steve... You're up."

"Yeah... So, what's going on out there? And where's Wallace?"

The President thought for a moment as he looked out of the window, before he finally said, "Samuel did this..."

As soon as he heard the name, Steven's blood quickly boiled, "Where?" He demanded.

The President look at him in the eyes, "... I know I can't stop you from going Steve, but before you go, listen to me..." He looked out of the window again, and said, "... The past few days have been hard for you, I know... And then suddenly, there's this battle... No one will know how this battle will turns out... It could end up in chaos, or in victory... I just want you to know... You have to keep on fighting, no matter how bad the situation looks like. Keep holding on to hope, even if the situation says otherwise... Keep believing, that's what I want you to remember..."

"... Believe...?"

"You have a bad habit of giving up when the situation looks bleak, that's how you lost to Wallace in the Champion League years ago... You are a Champion now, and that title, is not just a title with no meaning at all... Being a Champion means being the shining hope of the region. The one who will always win, no matter what happened... If the Champion can't believe in himself, who do you think the region can believe in?"

Steven let the words sink for a few moment, before finally nodding, "... I understand."

"Have faith in yourself, you are a lot stronger than you think you are..."

"I will win this battle, no matter what happens..." Steven said, "Samuel is going down..."

"Oh and one more thing…" The President said as he went over to one of the table and took a small pocket knife that somehow looks familiar to Steven. He handed it over to his son, "… This knife belongs to Agent Lance… The Director forgot to return this to him… I don't know why I'm giving this to you but… Just keep it… It might be useful…"

Steven took the knife, and inspects the small words written on the handle that says 'Dragons lie not in weapons, but in the spirit of every man' on one side, and 'A true hero does not fight for justice. They fight for what's right' on the other side. Steven smiled slightly, finding it a bit cheesy for Lance to be bringing a knife like this all around. "Thank you… Father…"


	6. Chapter 6

**BY MY SIDE**

"_Wallace, since this device was made in a hurry, I think I ought to inform you about the possible drawback... This small device needs a large amount of energy to radiate the waves that could disrupt the mind-controlling device... It is fully-charged right now, however... Five minutes, that's all the time you have, until this device ran out of energy. So be warned, you have to find the right timing before using this device."_

The President's words echoed in Wallace's head as he drives towards Evergrande City. That drawback concerns him to no end. Five minutes, and he has to find the right timing. If he fails to do so, the Hoenn might as well be doomed. It is up to him now, the future of Hoenn depends on him.

As he droves over the sea as fast as he could, suddenly, two figures suddenly appeared next to him out of nowhere, surprising him for a moment. However when he saw the two riders on the two eon Pokemon, he became somewhat more confidence.

"Wallace! We've got Latios and Latias to help!" Phoebe shouted over the wind, to which Wallace replies with a thumb-up.

The two female members of the Elite Four adjusted their speed so that they're flying at the same speed as Wallace's car. Glacia smiled at Wallace, as if assuring that they're going to own the battle. However, Wallace isn't feeling so assured about that. After all, it's Rayquaza they're going to fight.

"Don't worry Wallace," Glacia said as Latios inched closer to the side of Wallace's car, "Winona called me earlier. She and the other GYM leaders managed to get their hands on the three legendary golems, they should be on their way too."

"... There's nothing wrong in expecting the worst..."

"There's nothing wrong in hoping for the best either."

"Let's just win this battle then..."

"We will..."

The situation in Evergrande was much more chaotic that anyone could've expected. Rayquaza have deal a huge amount of damage that Wallace and the others have not expected to see. Everything was reduced to rubbles and ashes already, dead bodies of those poor souls who did not managed to escape was strewn all over the barren land. The glorious city became nothing but a bloodied battlefield, far before they arrive.

On the center of the chaos, the legendary serpent hovers, and on top of its head, stood its rider, gleefully enjoying the scene without the least bit of remorse.

"Glacia, Phoebe, be careful!" Wallace shouted as the two zoomed ahead and quickly confronts Rayquaza. Wallace analyze his surroundings, trying to find the best place to ambush the guy. He sends out his trusted Milotic, and whispers to her his plan.

"Okay Milotic, try to lock on that gauntlet, and see if you can get a shot on it…" Wallace said. "We have to wait for the right timing, I don't want to resort to use this device I have right now and- Milotic, look out!" Wallace suddenly shouted as he jumped over to his side to avoid a shadow ball that was aimed directly on his head. He looked up at the source of the attack and was quiet surprised to see a Dusclops and an Absol approaching him. "This is the disadvantage of having too many water Pokemon in your team… You can't bring them out in a combat on land…" Wallace muttered, "Milotic, hold your ground and use ice beam!"

The serpent-like Pokemon complies with its master's order without any second thought. However, the Dusclops and Absol were well-trained, and after several minutes of battling, Wallace has to admit they're a good team. They keep looking out for each other and when they attack, they do it together. That's what makes them a deadly team that Wallace finds difficulty in fighting off. Added by the fact that Milotic is not as agile on land as she is in water, the battle is not on his side.

The sudden ringing of his phone nearly make Wallace trip, however, he answered his phone anyway, knowing that it would be important, _"Wallace, we're here, in Evergrande!"_ Winona's strong voice came from the other end of the line. _"Are we still sticking to the original plan?"_

"Yes we are! You and the three golems, please distract Rayquaza! I'll try to find an opening, as soon as I can!"

"_What do you mean? Where are you?"_

"I'm having a bit of a situation here! Milotic, hydro pump!" Wallace suddenly exclaimed, however when he noticed two more figures approaching and lurking out of the shadow, he knew that it's no longer a situation. It's a problem. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"

Wallace inched closer to Milotic, knowing that the odds are not looking good. It's four against one, and even though he's a Champion, there are certain extents of limit as to what he can handle with only Milotic. The two Mightyena who just appeared, snarls menacingly at Wallace as they took a step closer and closer, along with the Absol. The Dusclops charged up a Shadow Ball. Wallace looked around, and was shocked to see an Ariados crawling closer and closer nearby. Now it's not four, but five, against one.

"Well, it's about time we get serious," Wallace said as he took out another 2 Pokeball out of his Pocket, "We can't waste anymore time…"

"Skarmory Steel wing!"

Wallace turned to look at the source of the voice, and was quiet surprised to see Steven standing there, "… Steven?"

"What are you doing?" Steven loudly demanded as he sends out his Metagross and Aggron, "Metagross Meteor Mash, Aggron Thunder!"

"I should be the one asking you that question! What are you doing here?" Wallace asked back, "Milotic, Hydro Pump!"

"I'm here to fight you idiot! And why are you still playing around? The others are fighting Rayquaza! Guys, bring them down for good!"

"I was about to get serious! Aren't you still grieving?"

"Don't set me aside just because _you think_ I couldn't differentiate between personal and work-related matters!"

Wallace did not reply as he focused his attention back to the battlefield, and sends out his Tentacruel, "Toxic!"

Steven came right next to Wallace, "I can still fight, for your information…" Steven said, "Metagross keep up with the Meteor Mash!"

"… I'm glad you came…" Wallace admitted, "Tentacruel, Milotic, ice beam!"

* * *

The side-battle was quickly won, even though they had to admit those Pokemon are quiet well-trained. They walked over to a spot where Milotic could get a good aim, and waited for the right timing. From their position, they could see Latias and Latios still trying to try their best to confused Rayquaza, as well as the three legendary golems who were trying to bring down Rayquaza with their powers. Rayquaza and its rider seems to be having some hard time, but the smirk never leaves Samuel's face, and that somehow concerns Wallace.

"Oaky Milotic, one chance, get the gauntlet." Wallace ordered as they stood behind the pile of rubble, "Ice beam."

Milotic nodded as she charges a blue beam, and took her time to aim well, when she was sure she will hit, she fires the beam. Wallace and Steven hold their breath, hoping for the best. However they soon were disappointed when suddenly, a dark barrier forms and stops the ice beam from destroying the gauntlet. This indeed captures Samuel's attention, who turned his attention to where Steven and Wallace his hiding. "Well Rayquaza… It's time for some chaos…" He said, and suddenly, Rayquaza roared up at the heavens. He charged a huge Hyper Beam, before finally shooting it straight at Regice, one of the three golems who had been dealing the most damage at Rayquaza.

His assault did not stop there, as soon as the first Hyper Beam was released, it charged up another one, and aims it at Regirock. Rayquaza keeps on shooting Hyper Beam as if it was a mere tackle attack, however the damaged done was no laughing matter.

Rayquaza flew up higher, and charged up for the biggest Hyper Beam ever seen by all the GYM leaders and Elite four standing there.

"Wallace, turn on that device, now!" Steven ordered, to which Wallace agrees without a second thought, and as soon as the device was activated, the effect was quickly noticed. Rayquaza did not fire the Hyper Beam and instead, began fidgeting and twitching in discomfort. It roars out loudly in frustration as it tried to break free from the confusion. He was paralyzed, no doubt, and Steven and Wallace took the chance to attack, "Wallace, get on Metagross and get him!" Steven said as he climbed on his Skarmory.

"I should really get a flying type Pokemon…" Wallace muttered as he jumped on Metagross and quickly sets-off towards Samuel. "Phoebe, Glacia, get him too!" Wallace instructed when he saw the two female members of the Elite Four flying nearby on Latios and Latias respectively.

The two of them were about to get close, however, they were quickly stopped on their way when suddenly; a black, shadowy Pokemon appears in their way, forcing them to halt to a stop. Steven was surprised to see the Pokemon hovering right before them. With its ghostly-appearance, the dark Pokemon charged up a Shadow ball, and aims straight at Steven, who managed to dodge it at the right time.

"Steve, what the hell is-"

"Darkrai!" Steven shouted, "Legendary Pokemon of Nightmare! Don't let it get you! If it does, you'll never be able to wake up from your nightmare!"

As the two Champions are busy trying to figure a way to get through Darkrai, Samuel is confused by Rayquaza's sudden immobility. His gaze happens to fall upon Wallace and Steven, and quickly assume that this is a part of their plan. Samuel sighed, "They really got me… Darkrai, use Dark Void!"

The nightmare Pokemon charges up a crimson black orb in his hand, and before Steven or Wallace could figure out what it is, Darkrai fires the orb straight at Latias and Latios. The orb grew bigger and bigger, until it finally engulfs the two eon Pokemon, as well as their riders. Steven had expected the orb to blow up or something, however he was quiet relieved when he saw that the black orb slowly disappear. The bad news is that Latios and Latias, along with Glacia and Phoebe, were put to sleep, and they were plummeting straight for the rugged ground covered in sharp rocks.

Steven quickly zoomed down, and sends out his Claydol, who managed to hold their landing with its Psychic power. "Claydol, Aggron, look after them!" Steven ordered before he makes his way up to Darkrai again, "Skarmory, steel wing!"

However Darkrai, being a Pokemon faster than Skarmory, easily evaded the attack, it charges up a shadow ball attack, and fires it at Skarmory. The close range of the attack made the attack much more intense. Skarmory cried out in pain, but quickly countered Darkrai with Aerial Ace, which dealt a barely noticeable amount of damage to the Pokemon.

Steven breathed out heavily, "I'm not giving up… Skarmory, maintain a safe distance, we'll attack using Aerial Ace once we find an opening."

"Metagross, I barely know you, but please trust me," Wallace said, "Now, get that bastard!"

Samuel smirked, "… Never underestimate me…" Samuel said as he took out another Pokeball out, and sends out the last Pokemon he had in possession, a Salamence.

Wallace groaned, "Damn… How many Pokemon do you actually have?"

"Don't worry, this one's my last…" Samuel said, voice filled with confidence, "I must admit Wallace, you've come up with a quiet surprising plan… With Latias, Latios, the three regis, and immobilizing my Rayquaza… You've surprised me. What's next? Groudon and Kyogre?"

"Some of my team members are working on that, just wait, they'll come as quickly as possible…" Wallace said with a smirk.

"Well, they'd better come fast, because I can assure you, this is going to turn real messy real soon."

"Metagross, not another moment to lose, Meteor Mash!"

"Salamence DragonBreath!"

* * *

From afar, the other GYM leader could only put their hands together and pray from the moment they saw Rayquaza getting paralyzed so suddenly. Roxanne handed over her binocular to Sidney, who watched the battle between Salamence and Metagross with much tension, "Damn Wallace! Did he really beat Steven in the champion League?" Sidney shouted out. He glanced at his wristwatch, "We only have two more minutes to go!"

"I'm going to help him!" Winona said as he quickly sends out her Altaria and flew towards Wallace as fast as she could.

As Wallace and Steven were busy with handling Salamence and Darkrai respectively, Samuel was observing his gauntlet while humming a little song, wondering what's wrong with it. Everything seems to be fully-functional, and there seems to be nothing broken.

Winona came next to Wallace, "We'll run out of time, its two minutes already!" she shouted, "Altaria, DragonBreath!"

"I'm trying my best here! Metagross can't handle aerial battle well!" Wallace shouted, feeling the pressure is on him, "Metagross, Shadow Ball! I don't think we can make it!"

"Wallace! No, don't say that!"

Salamence fired a Hyper Beam straight at Winona, which hit her fair and square. She lost her balance, and fell out of Altaria. The blue Pokemon would've tried to capture its master, if not for Salamence using the move bite on its neck. The two were locked in that position, each struggled to get the upper hand of the situation.

Wallace knew that this is the right chance to go for Samuel. Rayquaza is still paralyzed, Darkrai was taken care of by Steven, and the Salamence was distracted by the Altaria. He can go for it now, he can attack Samuel right there and then, however, at the same time, Winona is in danger of fatally crashing the ground, and only he can stop that from happening.

"C'mon Wallace!" Sidney roared, "Get that bastard! You've got one more minute!"

Wallace, without any second thought, directed Metagross down, to catch the falling Winona.

Sidney growled in frustration, "Everyone, prepare for combat!" He shouted at the others, "That idiot did not make it! Get the Regis ready! This is going to be a battle of life and death! Move it!"

Steven cursed out loudly as he signaled his Skarmory to keep a safe distance when Rayquaza began showing signs of mobility again. "Damn! Wallace!" He loudly shouted over the sound of Rayquaza roaring in anger.

Samuel smirked, "Ah… So that's it…" He said to himself, "… Rayquaza, use recover."

The green serpent began glowing brightly as it wounds slowly disappear. When the lights finally went out, the wounds were there no more, and Rayquaza is in full health.

"Now… Hyper Beam."

And with that one simple command, the madness rages on.

* * *

Wallace landed safely on the ground, with Winona in his arms. As gently as can be, he laid her down and inspects the wound caused by the Hyper Beam. The area near her shoulder was badly scorched due to the intensity of the attack, and Wallace couldn't help but to feel worried about it. He stood up and looked up at Rayquaza. The device he has around his wrist is now useless, and there's nothing else he could do. It's up to the three regis now, but are they capable of handling a legendary as strong as Rayquaza? Are they bound to doom already?

His phone suddenly rang, and he answered it, half-expecting it to be Sidney, who will probably just yell at him about how disappointed he and the others were.

"… _You screw up, huh?"_

Wallace took a moment to think, somehow unfamiliar with the voice, "… Yeah, big time…"

"_And you risk Hoenn's safety just for a girl… Don't you think you're being irresponsible?"_

"… That's why they don't make me the Champion."

"_What if I told you that there's still a way to win this battle?"_

"How? And if I may know, who is this?"

_I'm quite close by…"_

Wallace looked around, but couldn't see anything else except for ruins and rubbles scattered round. "I can't see…" His voice trailed off when he saw someone approaching from a distance. As the figure came closer and closer, Wallace couldn't help but to drop his phone in shock. His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. "Lance…?"

Even though he was supposed to be dead, there he was, walking towards him with a casual expression and a blue and red orb in his hand. He was wearing a black, ripped, travelling cloak with hoods that gracefully flutters in the cold, harsh wind and conceals his whole figure. The only thing that allows Wallace to identify him as Lance is the goggles hung around his neck.

The Dragon Master stopped right before Wallace, and smirked, "You need my help, and I need yours…" He said, "It'll be a win-win situation…"

Wallace stuttered, "B-But… We-we thought you were… Everyone thought you were dead!"

Lance gave him a surprised look, "Well, apparently I'm not… What makes you say that?"

"Well, there's a witness that claimed you were attacked by a Rayquaza and was blown-off when you were heading back to Johto!"

Lance eyes turn to look at the ground, "Oh… Well, things happened… I know I wasn't supposed to be interfering in this again, but… The moment that motherfucker attacked me, and fatally wounded my Dragonite's wings; this became a personal matter to me… The poor boy is in the hospital now, undergoing surgery as we speak… He may never fly again…"

"… I'm sorry to hear that."

Lance nodded, "… I swore upon the Dragons, that I'm not going to let him live... He's going to die, and I'm going to make sure of that… But, I'm going to need your help."

"… What is it?"

Lance handed over the blue orb he had been holding to Wallace. "You're the water expert around here Wallace; you know what to do… My body can't handle the power if I was to handle to two of them at the same time, it may turn out ugly…"

Wallace observed the orb for a few moments, before finally realizing what it is, "Lance! This is the blue orb! Don't tell me-!"

Lance nodded, "Kyogre is waiting somewhere nearby… While Groudon, is just behind those mountains," Lance said as he pointed at the mountains located quiet far away from their current location. "The plan is to bring him down, with the power of these two combined. Are you in?"

Wallace was quiet for a few moments, but then he realized that there are no other alternatives. He heard stories about people losing their lives while trying to control Groudon or Kyogre, but if this was supposed to save Hoenn in the end, he knew that it'll be worth the risk.

Wallace nodded, "Let's do this…"

"Before you go, let me tell you one thing my boss used to tell me before we go on a delicate mission."

"What's that?"

"Failure is not an option."

Wallace rolled his eyes as he smirked, "That is so reassuring Lance…"

* * *

"Damn, Skarmory hang in there!" Steven shouted as they barely manage to evade another one of Darkrai's Dark Void, "We need to find an opening, but Darkrai keeps on firing like mad…" Steven muttered to himself.

"Charizard, Blast Burn!"

The intense flame attack caught Darkrai by surprise, and it couldn't possibly avoid it. Steven turned his attention to the source of the attack, and when he saw who it was, he stopped breathing. There he was, riding on a Charizard, flashing him a peace sign with his trademark smirk plastered on his face, "… Lance…?" The name weakly came out of his trembling lips.

Lance rolled his eyes, "No! I wasn't dead! I am alive! I survived the battle with Rayquaza, unfortunately, not my Dragonite! I'm here for revenge, and to make sure this guy is dead! And do I need to remind you that your battle strategy is slow? Keep that up and you'll be the first one to die!"

Steven barely knew what to say as his gaze were fixed on Lance. He was afraid that all of this might be just an illusion caused by one of Darkrai's attack, but isn't Drakrai supposed to give him nightmares? He blinked once, twice… Nothing changed.

"Keep your mind focused!" Lance shouted, "Charizard, Hyper Beam!"

"… You were supposed to be dead…" Steven weakly said.

The Hyper Beam sent by the Charizard hit the Darkrai on the right spot. Darkrai loses control over itself and falls down towards the ground. Lance, however, wasn't feeling so merciful, "Now Charizard, give me your best shot! Flamethrower!"

The intense heat that could've melt those rubbles in just a matter of few seconds hit the Darkrai and burnt it before it can even touch the ground. The land was set on fire as Charizard keeps on adding more and more power to its attack. When he was finally done, Darkrai laid down there amongst the pile of rocks and melting metals, and obviously, not capable of fighting anymore.

"That ought to do it," Lance said, "Seriously, where did that motherfucker get this Pokemon…?" He mused to himself, "… I've gotta go now!" He said as he was about to direct his Charizard to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Steven suddenly shouted, gaining Lance's attention as he did so. Steven took a deep breath and asked, "Tell me I am not dreaming…"

Lance was dumfounded for a moment, however, he finally smirked and said, "I don't die easily."

"And I thought… You were dead… Idiot…" Steven said as tears began to roll down the side of his face.

Lance looks troubled, "... Look Steven, I've got a Groudon waiting for me right now. We'll talk later, after this battle is over, okay?"

Steven took a deep breath, and couldn't hold back his smile of joy, "… Just go…" He said as he wiped his tears away, "And come back alive…"

Lance smiled back, "… I will." And with that he went off towards the mountain range.

* * *

Wallace stood on the sandy beach and looked around, hoping to see any sign of life. He glanced at the orb in his hand, before closing his eyes and began to concentrate. Slowly but surely, an ancient pattern began to appear on the surface of the orb, and it crept up to Wallace's arm, glowing in bright blue color. The sea level began to rise, immersing the beach with water. The water level finally reaches Wallace's waist, and when he finally opened his eyes, he saw the legendary Pokemon, half-immersed in the water, right before him.

Wallace was surprised at first, but smirked, "… Kyogre, lend me your power, to stop this madness…"

The Pokemon let out a low rumble, as if to say 'yes'. Wallace got on Kyogre's back, and after making sure he's comfortable, he began concentrating again. The water level began rising at a ridiculous speed, making a water-way for Kyogre to swim into the center of the chaos. That particular side of the city was soaked with water, deep enough to give advantage for Kyogre, and when everything is ready, Kyogre swims forward, into the battlefield.

Groudon ascend from the mountains, and make its way through the center of the city. On top of Groudon's head was Lance, bearing a glowing red, ancient pattern on his arm as well.

Samuel, who had been successful in bringing the legendary golems down, was quickly surprised by the sight of Groudon and Kyogre approaching. Samuel noticed Lance on Groundon's head, and couldn't hold back the words, "I thought you were dead."

"I wasn't," Lance growled, "But soon you will!"

Samuel glanced at Wallace and Kyogre, and even though the situation may not look good for him, he smirks in glee and said, "Bring it on! Rayquaza, show them who's the boss! Hyper Voice!"

"Don't fall for that! Groudon, fire blast!"

"Kyogre, Hyper Beam!"

Steven could only watch as the legendary battle between the weather trio began. It was a horrific battle to witness, no doubt, and he was surprised to see Wallace battling so fiercely along with Kyogre. Lance was no different; he was battling as if he had never been taught the proper etiquette for battling. It's not that Steven was disturbed by that fact, he was more disturbed by the fact that Rayquaza was able to move around more freely compared to Groudon or Kyogre.

It's strange to see how things turns out, and so rapidly too. Steven could barely catch up with what happened from the time he stepped into the battle, up to the present. All that he knew is that the battle is not theirs yet. He checked on his surroundings, and decided to help his friends, and see if any one of them is injured fatally. It turns out everyone is safe, thankfully, although Winona is still unconscious. The three regis were still able to move around, but battling is out of the question.

"Rayquaza, recover!" Samuel ordered when the situation isn't looking good.

"Not a chance! Ancientpower!" Lance yelled out.

"Ice Beam!" Wallace commanded as Kyogre leapt out majestically out of the water.

It finally came to Samuel that he was indeed in a dire situation, and there's a possibility he could lose this one. However, instead of feeling worried, he was more excited by the fact that if he managed to bring down those two hero-wannabes, he could simply put Hoenn on their knees. The thought of him losing seems to be absurd; all he could see is victory ahead, and there's nothing that can get in his way. "Rayquaza, destroy them all!"

The moment Wallace holds the blue orb in his hand; he knew that he'll be risking his life and body for the sake of victory. However one thing he did not expect is the effect the blue orb imposed upon his whole body. It was as if his very soul is shaking with fright under the pressure of the immense power. Breathing became a huge challenge for him, and not so more than standing. He glanced at Lance, who doesn't seem to be doing any better.

They have to end this soon, and they need to come up with a plan to be able to do so.

Attacking continuously seems to be futile, because that's what they've been doing ever since the battle began, and there's no sign of Rayquaza losing to the attacks and injuries. The three beasts could have continued on this battle forever, however, that doesn't apply for the humans. Wallace knew for sure that he could collapsed at any moment now, and the only thing that keeps him standing is the thought that there's no one else that can do this except for him.

"Do you really think you could keep this up?" Samuel loudly asked, "You will all die! Either in my hands or in the hands of those Pokemon you two foolishly tried to control."

Wallace frowned, but barely has any energy remain to snap back at him. The only thing he can do right now is to tune out the pain and emotions, and keep pushing on for victory, like never before. The blue pattern on the orb and on his arms glow brighter and Kyogre began to fiercely launch its Hyper Beam attack.

Lance breathed heavily, tired from having to deal with the pain and pressure. His vision began to blur away as the pain began to take over his whole body. He was barely able to neither think nor register anything else that happened around him. He growled and muttered to himself, "You can do this…" And after repeating those words several time, he stood up again, "Flamethower!"

Steven watched the battle from a safe place with much frustration. He had seen what the two orbs have done to Lance and Wallace, and he was more that anxious about the two of them. He tried thinking about what he can do to help, and after thinking for several moments, he knew that he has got to try and do something.

"I've got a plan," Steven said as he turned to the others. "There's no way we can depend on Groudon and Kyogre to win this battle. As the proud trainers of Hoenn, we have to do something to stop this madness as well."

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Roxanne asked, "Glacia and Phoebe along with Latios and Latias are down. The three regis aren't capable of fighting anymore. Rayquaza is just too powerful."

"Well, go ahead man; tell us what you have in mind!" Sidney said, "If we don't try it out, who knows how it'll turns out later on. If in the end we die, at least we die trying."

"Bringing down Rayquaza is not our main priority," Steven continued, "It's bringing down Samuel that is important; and look at him now… Thoroughly distracted by Groudon and Kyogre. This is our chance to strike."

And just as soon as he said that, a loud cry was heard from the sky above them. Steven looked up, and saw Lance's Charizard flying nervously back and forth, before finally landing next to Steven.

"You want to help…?" Steven asked, to which the Charizard replied with a shy nod. Steven smiled, "Okay guys, here's what I have in mind!"

* * *

Samuel couldn't hold back his smirk when he finally realized that Lance doesn't seem to be capable of holding on much longer. The fact didn't go unnoticed by Wallace, and he knew that he had to take over the majority of the battle now. "Kyogre, it's up to us!" Wallace shouted, even though he was not so sure if they can win this or not, "Use all of your strength, Hydro pump!"

Lance groaned out loudly for the hundredth time as clutched and dug his nails deeply on his chest. "Holy Dragons…" He whispered weakly, "If you're really watching over me… Please… Groudon, Ancientpower!"

A Hyper Beam fired by the Rayquaza nearly hit Lance and Groudon, however the attack was fend off by a couple of Hyper Beam which was obviously not fired by neither Kyogre nor Groudon. Wallace looked around, and was nonetheless surprised to see Drake and Sidney, riding on a Salamence and Flygon respectively, towards Rayquaza. "What the…?" Wallace asked to none in particular.

Despite the abnormally violent weather over the battlefield, Flygon and Salamence show no sign of trouble flying through. The two of them began to fire various attacks straight at Rayquaza, and obviously irritates Samuel and the green serpent. Rayquaza tried to fire a Hyper Beam straight at them; however, their small sizes gave them a considerable amount of advantage.

Following the two were Metagross and Claydol, who suddenly zoomed into the battlefield and flew straight at Rayquaza. The four of them flew around the serpent and began randomly attacking. Rayquaza tried to blew them off using Hyper Beam and Hyper Voice, however, the four of them were like annoying insects that seems to be impossible to get rid of. In the midst of the distraction Steven came unnoticed with his Skarmory. They flew as low as possible, trying not to stick out. After making sure he is close enough, Steven stood up, and jumped off Skarmory, right on to Rayquaza's long body. Steven gave his bird Pokemon a thumbs up, before slowly making his way to its head. Having to spend most of his younger days in climbing cliffs and walls, Steven finds little trouble in creeping slowly up to Rayquaza's head, where Samuel is.

Occasionally, Rayquaza would make several dangerous twist and turn that could've dismount Steven, but he managed to hold on.

Wallace noticed Steven, and quickly realized what that guy was planning. If he was in the discussion, he wouldn't have agreed to such absurd plan, however, there's nothing much he can do now, except to distract, "That little fox…" Wallace muttered with a smirk, "Kyogre, Hydro Pump!"

Lance cursed for the thousandth time when he felt his consciousness is slowly slipping away. "… That motherfucker is not going to live for another day…" Lance muttered, "Groudon, give me your best shot!"

Steven gritted his teeth when he finally saw Samuel's back, the wind nearly made it hard for him to see, but there's no mistaking it, he's close enough. With all the strength he could muster, Steven attacks the unsuspecting Samuel from behind, and caught Samuel by surprise. Steven wound his arms around his neck from the back.

"What?" Samuel exclaimed loudly. He struggled for several moments, and managed to trip Steven's foot and made the two of them fell flat on top of Rayquaza's head. Samuel, somehow owing to luck, recover before Steven, and quickly pounced on Steven and pinned him down, "You know what? I like your guts. And your determination. But you will never, ever win!"

Steven smirked as he tried to pry Samuel's hands, and said, "I am the Hoenn Champion… I never lose!"

As the two of them wrestles on top of Rayquaza's head, the green serpent itself finds some confusion in what to do. It keeps glaring from one side to another and growls, but did nothing else. Seeing the behavior, the others stopped attacking and could only keep their fingers crossed.

In the middle of the fight, Steven noticed the red button on the gauntlet Samuel is wearing. He tried remembering what button it is, and remembered from the blueprint he saw that it was the release button. Seeing that he has a chance to push the button, he did so, and undoubtedly in the next moment, Rayquaza was released from the mind-control.

"You, what have you-!" Samuel shouted in shock, however, he did not managed to finish his sentence as Steven landed a punch on his face, and turn the situation into his favor.

Rayquaza suddenly roared out loudly as it fly about dangerously, trying to get the two intruders on top of its head off, and it did so with ease. As they fell, Samuel tried to reactive his device, however, Steven get a good hold of his gauntlet and forcefully pry it off, even though they are plummeting straight for the ground. Samuel tries to fight back and kick Steven away, but the Hoenn Champion remains persistent.

As the two keeps on wrestling, suddenly Charizard zoomed out of nowhere and swiped them before they can hit the ground.

Samuel growled as he pinned Steven down again, "You are a nuisance!" He said as he wrapped his hands around Steven's neck and applies pressure on his neck.

Steven struggled hard to gets his hands off. He tried to keep calm and waited for the right moment.

"You're going to be the first to die!" Samuel shouted, "I should have killed you back then! I should have killed you, and that agent from Kanto! The two of you should have been dead! As soon as I'm done with you, I'm going to obliterate him, and all of your friends! Hoenn is doomed and there's nothing you can-!"

Samuel's words were abruptly cut-off when he felt something sharp and cold piercing through his stomach. Fearing the worst, he glanced down, and saw Steven's hand stabbing him with a knife. Before he could do anything else, Steven pulls out the knife, before mustering all his strength, and pushing Samuel off Charizard. Steven quickly instructed Charizard, "C'mon boy, blast burn!" Steven shouted over the wind.

Charizard, without a single bit of hesitation, charges up its most powerful move, and fire it down straight at the falling Samuel.

His body was reduced to ashes before he can even touch the ground.

* * *

After making sure Samuel's truly dead, Charizard flew off towards the sky and watched Rayquaza with much anxiety, just like the others. The green serpent stayed motionless for a while, before it finally saw Lance and flew closer to him. Steven nervously watched, hoping that Rayquaza isn't going to go ballistic or something.

Rayquaza stares at Lance, who in turn looks back at it with his tired eyes, "… He's gone…" Lance said to Rayquaza, "He's not going to bother you again…"

Sidney and Drake came close to Steven, "What's going on over there?" Steven asked them, "Why's Rayquaza looking at Lance?"

"… Rayquaza is a Dragon Pokemon, and Lance happens to be the Dragon Master…" Drake said, "It seems that Lance is trying to explain to Rayquaza about what happened…"

"It was his special ability…" Sidney said, "To be able to understand and talk with Dragon type Pokemon…"

They waited tensely for whatever it is to be over, hoping that Rayquaza would just leave. And thankfully, after a few moments, it did. It roared out loudly, before shooting for the sky. And it was never seen again.

"… That's it?" Sidney asked. "We won?"

Drake nodded, "We won."

There was a moment of silence, before Sidney shouted out happily, "WE WON!"

A smile crept up Steven's face as he jumped-off from Charizard, onto his Metagross, and quickly high-five Sidney and Drake. Charizard quickly flies-off towards its master, checking on his condition.

Sidney quickly flew off towards Wallace to tell him about the good news.

Wallace sighed in he sends out his Gyarados on the water and get off from Kyogre. His feet were wobbly and his vision was spinning, however he managed to get on Gyarados safely. With all the strength he had left, he mumbled, "Thank you Kyogre…" And that was the last word he ever said to Kyogre, before the Legendary Pokemon completely immersed itself into the water, and swam back into the open sea.

Sidney's Flygon descend right next to him, and with much excitement, Sidney breaks the news.

Wallace glanced at Sidney as he leaned against his Gyarados' long neck, "We won…?" he weakly muttered, "… How… Suprising…" His voice trailed off as his body limped and his eyes slowly flutter, before finally closing. The last thing Wallace saw is the glowing blue orb in his hand.

Charizard went over to its master, anxious about his condition. Lance smiled at his Charizard, "Good job… Chari…" Before he could finish his sentence, his body fell forward, off from Groudon's head. Alerted, Charizard quickly caught him before he hits the ground, and rumbled lowly with concern. Lance held the red orb close to his chest as he finally gives in to the darkness…


	7. Chapter 7

**BY MY SIDE**

"Look, when I said I want to go home now, I mean now!"

When Steven heard the yelling from the far end of the corridor, he couldn't help but to sigh. He briskly walked into the room, only to find a certain red-headed young man arguing with the doctor.

"I have a life outside this place!" Lance shouted, "And I haven't seen my Dragonite! If you don't let me go now, he would think I've abandoned him, and I don't want that to happen!"

Steven glanced at Wallace, who was watching the whole scene with much amusement from his own bed nearest to the door.

"Sir Lance!" The female doctor yelled back, "You just came around several hours ago! You are damaging your body by forcing it to move when it's not ready, just yet! And maybe next time, you'll learn not to inject pain-killers carelessly without knowing the right amount your body can handle!"

Lance cringed when he heard those words, "It was necessary!"

Steven frowned, "Okay, that's enough!" Steven interfered, "Lance, she's just concerned about your condition!" Steven reasoned as he approached him.

"But Steve," Lance said, almost whimpering, "Dragonite…"

"I've called hospital where you've admitted your Dragonite, and they said he's doing just fine." Steven tried to assure, "He's recovering from the operation."

The female doctor grumbled, "Please note that you can't leave this hospital for another week. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got of work to do!" And with that, she angrily stormed off the room, nearly slamming the door of the room behind her.

Lance threw himself on his bed and groaned, "This is madness!"

Steven rolled his eyes, "I told you, your Dragonite is fine."

Lance glanced at him and asked, "His wings?"

Steven hesitated for a moment, before finally saying, "They can't do anything about that… They're suggesting that you amputate the wings and get a transplant or something… Dragonite…Can't fly anymore."

"… Sorry to hear that," Wallace suddenly said.

Lance sighed, "… Transplant, are they kidding or what?"

"Hey, some Pokemon actually live with that," Wallace pointed out, "Or… if you're not comfortable with transplantation, how about getting an artificial one?"

"Oh yeah, that might work," Steven agreed.

"What do you mean 'artificial'? Can he really fly again with that?" Lance asked.

"Oh even better," Wallace said with a smirk as he took the magazine he left on the table next to his bed, search through the pages, and finally found the right article. "Read this."

Lance took the magazine and began reading, "Artificial Wings proven to save dreams… Cheesy title…" Lance commented, but kept on reading anyway. After several minutes of reading, he finally said, "So... Dragonite could get a pair of man-made wings… Which may or may not function properly, and is still under development?"

Steven took the magazine from his hand and said, "Oh c'mon. The Devon is one of the leading researchers on this thing. Your Dragonite will be able to fly around the world in 12 hours instead of the usual 16, plus you can get a lifetime warranty. Of course, that's why this doesn't come cheap."

"Well, what if some malfunction occurs when he's flying on the middle of the sea?" Lance asked, sounding a bit worried.

Wallace smirked, "C'mon, the president of the Devon created my car. I've been riding on it for 8 years now, on top speed every time I got the chance. Never malfunction. Not even after it got caught in flood, or get body-slammed by Milotic, or when Gyarados got mad and Hyper Beam-ed it…"

"Maybe you could talk to my dad directly," Steven said, "He'll be happy to help out." However suddenly, his phone rang. He checked for the caller ID, before finally saying, "It's him." He said as he answered the call and exited the room, leaving Wallace and Lance alone in the room.

Lance was the first to break the silence, "So… How long was I out?"

"Eight days." Wallace replied.

"How about you?"

Wallace shrugged, "I came around just yesterday… Barely remember a thing…"

Lance sighed, "I know how that feels… It's as if everything that happened, was just like a dream…"

Wallace rolled his eyes, "It's because you were on drug."

"It wasn't drug." Lance argued.

"Painkiller, analgesic, whatever you want to call it, is illegal. Only doctors are allowed to get their hands on them. Certified doctors."

"Well, back in Kanto, we used them quiet often." Lance pointed out.

"Great, your region now sounds like it has illegal drug warehouses scattered all over the place."

"How many times should I tell you that it's not drugs," Lance said as he rolled his eyes, "And we only use them in critical times. Let's say, like when a legendary battle is coming up, and you're the only one capable of bringing Groudon and Kyogre into the battlefield."

"I can't believe our hero is a drug-addict… And to think Steven actually likes you."

"I am not an addict… Wait a minute, what's with Steven again?"

Wallace innocently shrugged, "I can't believe my best friend would fall for a drug-addict with hero complex… That's all…"

"What do you mean 'fall'? Wallace, don't tell me…"

Wallace gave him a look, "… I was outside, when you confessed to him in this hospital."

"Oh no, you didn't!"

Wallace grimace, "Oh yes I did…"

"How could you Wallace?"

"Oh please, as if your voice isn't loud enough."

A slight tint of pink crept up on Lance's face, and he has to look away to hide it, "What's the point… He rejected me… I don't stand a chance against the person_ he_ loves…"

"Don't say things like that. You and Steve make a great couple…" Wallace said, not sure why he was being so nice to him.

"… You and him make a_ better_ couple."

"Eh?"

Lance sighed, "… Long before I even met him… he already fell in love with someone else…" He paused for a moment, before continuing, "I don't stand a chance… Because this guy got everything… The looks, the skills, the power… And last but not least, something I never have… Sincerity."

"… What are you talking about…?"

"You're sincere in everything you do... The event that really got me is the time when you save Winona… You'll risk the world just to save the person you love… If I was in your position, I would've… I would've let her fall…"

"That's not right… You love him too, even if he's in his most pathetic state…"

"That is so reassuring..." Lance said with a bit of sarcasm.

Wallace glanced at him, before finally saying, "… Do you know what he said after he found out you were… 'dead'?"

Lance glanced at him, "What?" he asked a moment too quickly.

Wallace sighed as he repeated Steven's words, "… While crying, he said… 'He was the first to tell me that he loves me, even if I'm such a wreck'… Or something along those lines, I couldn't exactly remember…"

Lance adopted a surprised look on his face, "… Are you… Serious?"

"No Lance, I was just messing with you." Wallace said, returning the sarcasm.

Lance smirked, not knowing what else to say about that. He decided that it would be wise to change the topic, "So... What happened to the red and blue orb?"

"Steven returned them already... You took it from Mount Pyre, right?"

Lance nodded, "Yeah. Those old couple gave them to me the moment I arrived... As if they can sense that something bad is going to happen soon…"

"I heard they've been there for quite a long time…" There was a short pause, before Wallace decided to inform, "Groudon and Kyogre return to wherever it is they came from. And Rayquaza… We never saw it again…"

Before Lance could reply, Steven suddenly enters the room, "Hey Lance, I got the catalogue for the different types of models we're making. Each set with different capabilities and advantages. Make your choice." Steven said as he handed over the catalogue to Lance.

Lance's eyes narrowed slightly when his eyes set on the prices. "Convenient, light and powerful… equipped with GPS, radar… Rocket launcher? What the hell is this? Is this even real?"

Steven sat on Lance's bed and leaned closer to him, "Just so you know, it's what they call technology these days Lance, if you happen to be living in a cave for the past few years."

Lance rolled his eyes, "I do not live in a cave. I just dedicated a larger portion of my time learning how to survive, fight…"

"And ripping other people's clothes off and use them for disguise," Steven teased lightly.

"No, I wasn't going to say that." Lance denied. "That belongs in the survival section."

Steven ruffles Lance's head playfully, "Okay, for a traveler like you who likes to go from place to place in a matter of several minutes, I recommend you to pick this one out."

"What's with sharp edges?" Lance asked, "Dragonite can't possibly sleep next to me if… Oh wait, forget that you ever heard that!"

Steven smirked, "Aww… You sleep with Dragonite next to you! Isn't that so sweet hearing that from a tough guy like you? Wallace! This guy sleeps with his Dragonite!" Steven said as he glanced at his friend.

Wallace chuckled, "That is just so cute coming from a guy like you! Our hero has a soft spot for over-sized cuddly Pokemon!"

Lance rolled his eyes again, "No. I don't!"

"And now who's living in denial…" Steven whispered by Lance's ear.

Lance shot Steven a look, "… Dragonite happens to be my childhood friend. My most trusted partner… Okay! Back to this alright, just pretend never said anything about sleeping..."

"Are you kidding?" Wallace asked, "If this ever goes to the media, your name will sky-rocketed as the hero who likes to cuddle."

Lance glared at Wallace, "Do you really hate me that much?"

"Just for your information… I still don't like you."

* * *

After being put to sleep for quite some time, Lance finally woke several hours later to the sound of the door of his room opening.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…" Steven apologetically said as he closed to door gently behind him.

Lance looked around drowsily, trying to get the effect of the medicine out of his head. "It's okay…" He mumbled as his gaze fell upon the empty bed next to him, "Where's Wallace?"

"Winona took him out several minutes ago," Steven said as he sat on the edge of Lance's bed, "I think… She's got something very important to tell him…"

Lance sighed quietly, "… He deserves it…"

Steven nodded slowly as he looked out of the window, "I know…" He whispered. There was a moment of silence, before Steven finally decided to say, "Thank you, Lance…"

"For what?"

"For fighting so hard for our region… For being such an inspiration to everyone… And, for coming back…" Steven said with a sheepish smile.

Lance smirked, not knowing how to handle that kind of compliment, "It was nothing…" Was all he could say in reply.

"I'm still glad… To know someone who will never stop fighting like you… I really am…"

Lance quietly observed him for a moment, before finally asking, "Steve… Is there something you want to tell me?"

Steven somehow looked surprised, "… No, I think I've pretty much said everything I wanted to say." He admitted.

Lance slowly nodded, "… Okay… You're welcome, for everything."

"… I should be going…" Steven said as he stood up and walked towards the door, "Get well soon."

Steven opened the door, and was about to walked out, when Lance suddenly said, "You know, I still waiting for you answer!"

The Hoenn Champion froze when he heard those words, dreading for that one topic to be brought up. He spared him a single glance, "… I know…" He muttered, "… But I don't think I can."

"… If you think I should wait, give me a 'yes'. And if you think I should move on, give me a 'no'. Whatever you answer is, I'll appreciate it…"

Steven bit his lower lips, "… Sorry…" And that was all he said before closing the door behind him.

Lance moaned out loudly as he stare at the ceiling, knowing very well that he was just downright rejected. However, before he could even think of anything else, the door was slammed open once again, and a furiously blushing Steven walked in.

He slammed the door behind him and exclaimed, "Look! I don't know what to feel, okay? I'm suffocated by this weird feeling every time I think about you! I'm depressed, confused. I just want… I just want to… I don't even know what I want!" He blurted out the whole thing as he leaned against the door, eyes fixed on the floor, "You keep on making me feel as if I'm the bad person here… I'm going crazy, and… I don't know if this is what you call love, but I don't like it. I don't know what I like about you. Maybe your courage, your spirit… The way you never give up. Something about you that is somehow capable of understanding what I want when I don't even know what I want. The way you care so much…"

Dumbstruck, Lance could barely find a word to say.

Steven shot him a look, "Forget it, I'm just being stupid…" He muttered as he opened the door again.

"No Steve wait!" Lance called out, "I've got something to say too!"

Steven stopped and looked at him, avoiding direct eye contact, "… Sorry…"

Lance smiled, "I love you too."

Steven froze when he saw that one gentle smile that somehow radiates the kind of love he had never felt before. His body relaxed as he walked closer to him, even though he wasn't sure if he's actually in control of his own actions anymore. Nervously, he bent over, and placed a light peck on Lance's lips. Lance gently run his fingers along Steven's jaw, his touch sent a mysterious chill down Steven's spine. Steven closed his eyes as he whispered by his ears, "Don't die again…"

"I won't…" Lance whispered back.

"Don't leave me."

"Never will."

"I'm sorry, for everything bad I've said…"

"Forgotten already."

Steven once again bent down and kissed Lance, only this time, with much more passion. Lance opened his mouth, letting Steven's tongue invade him with lust and moans that undoubtedly turns him on. He cupped Steven face in his hands and pulled him into a fiercer kiss.

And that's when the others decided to walk in.

"Hey Lance, Wallace!" Sidney exclaimed as he happily slammed the door opened, "How are you guys-" He abruptly stopped when he saw the awkward position Steven and Lance were in. The others behind him gasped, staring at the couple in shock.

Not knowing what else to do, Lance and Steven just froze in that awkward position, eyes locked at the intruders.

"… This is awkward…" Lance stated the obvious as he lets go of Steven.

Phoebe showed them the basket of fruits and berries they brought, "We brought you something…" She stated, still looking at them in disbelief.

"Thank you." Lance flatly replied.

"Lance is your lover?" Sidney exclaimed that one sentence Steven had been dreading to hear. "So that means you're…"

Steven sighed, before nodding at him, "Yes, I am gay too…" He admitted. "I've always been gay."

"Well, isn't that sweet…" Glacia stiffly stated, "You two make such a cute couple."

Sidney took a moment to compose himself, before finally saying, "Sorry… I guess I was shocked. I thought you guys are into chicks…"

"… We'll come by some other time…" Drake finally said, "Sorry for disturbing."

"Eh, wait, I'm not done talking!" Sidney said.

Drake grabbed Sidney by his shirt and dragged him out, "Get well soon." He said as he dragged Sidney away.

Phoebe left the basket of fruits and berries on the nearest table, before exiting with a polite bow.

Steven sighed out loudly as he laid his head in Lance's chest, "… Just kill me already…"

Lance chuckled as he gently stroke Steven's soft hair, "They'll get over it. Trust me."

* * *

Months later…

Steven checked on his watch, nervously glancing at the sky every now and then, "Come one, come on…" He muttered every now and then.

Wallace looks over Steven's shoulder at the watch, "Relax…" He said before yawning, "It's not even time yet."

"Based on the calculations I've made, taking into account the amount of guts he has, that he'll be able to break a new record, and will be back any minute now…"

"No kidding?" Wallace nonchalantly said as his gaze wandered off to the clear blue sky. He thought for a moment, before finally saying, "… How long has it been?"

"… 10 hours, 12 minutes, 45 seconds…" Steven muttered.

Wallace narrowed his eyes when he noticed something glinting on the far horizon, "… Around the world in 10 hours and 15 minutes…" He said, "He'll be proud as hell about this."

In less than several second, something incredibly fast flew right over them, creating an impressive air torrent that send rocks, dust, and their basic camping supplies scattering through the air. The mysterious object slowed down, and finally landed not far from Steven and Wallace.

It was a dragonite, equipped with a pair of simple metallic wings that beautifully whirred to a stop as it proudly stood with a delighted expression written on its face. The rider dressed in black suit and a black helmet, jumped down from the dragon Pokemon and took off his helmet.

"10 hours, 14 minutes, 25 seconds!" Steven declared.

Lance smirked as he ran his fingers through his messy hair, "Best flight ever." He remarked, "Even though I could barely see a thing…"

Dragonite flexed its new metallic wings happily and took off to the skies once again.

"Thanks for the helmet Wallace," Lance offered to the older current-Champion of Hoenn, "I still can't imagine how you can get your hands on one of these… Volt's Aerial Helmet. Only three have ever been created."

Wallace smirked, "I have connections, and some friends…"

Steven rolled his eyes, "I could design something a lot better than that…" He mumbled to himself.

"It's Volt's, Steven… Volt's!" Wallace said, "That guy is the expert when it comes to anything that flies. You, who spent most of his time in a cave, can't possibly understand how delicate this matter is." He said as he put his arms around Steven's neck in a friendly gesture. "He could practically conquer the sky and claims it to be his territory, if he wants to."

"Don't worry Steve," Lance assured with a warm smile, "Dragonite and I are more than satisfied with the new wings…"

Steven returned the smile, "If you say so…"

"Of course, the only drawback is Dragonite's incapability of joining any formal Pokemon competition anymore…" Wallace commented, "Considering the extra lasers that could pierce through a six inches crystal… The rocket-propelled mechanism… The temperature-sensitive sensor that could detect the presence of any living thing in the radius of one kilometer…"

"It's so good that it could be considered a crime…" Lance agreed.

Steven sighed quietly, "Well, I can't help it okay? It's the first project my father and I ever work on together…"

Lance looks up at his Dragonite, whose flying happily around the mountain range, "… Thank you…"

The three fell into silence as they watched the Dragon Pokemon happily speeding up like mad around the clear blue sky.

"Hey, let's go back to Blackthorn and get something to eat, okay?" Wallace suddenly suggested, "I'm starving."

"Let's go then," Lance agreed, "Coffee stand?"

"Pancake's House." Wallace quickly decided.

"The coffee stand has pancakes," Lance argued.

"The Pancake's House has coffee too." Wallace returned.

"I'm going for waffles…" Steven finally said.

"The Pancake's House has waffles." Wallace stated.

Lance rolled his eyes, "Fine. Do it your way. I'm still getting coffee from the Coffee Stand."

"Stubborn brat…" Wallace smirked, "And by the way, I've been meaning to ask… How are things going on between you two, eh?"

Steven heart skipped a beat when the question registers to his brain, "… We're doing… Just fine…" He said with a shrug. Beside him, Lance is glaring daggers at the oldest Champion.

"Just fine? My wedding night was just fine until a certain drunk brat breaks into our room and began playing around with the karaoke machine," he said as he glared back at Lance, who timidly shrunk at that accusation, "One thing we've all learnt that day is to never give a Dragon Trainer anything stronger than energizer drinks. And maybe the fact that Lance is a 'charming' singer, as Winona likes to call it…"

Steven shrugged again, "Well, we're doing well… And, uh… Dragonite sometimes gets in the way when we're trying to get a little private, but aside from that, we're doing… fine."

Wallace gave him a knowing look, "So he's still cuddling with his dragon? Hey Lance, you're in a relationship, you can't just bring big lizards on the bed. The bed belongs to you, and your partner." He stated.

Lance sighed, "I know, I know. But Dragonite is not used to it. There's this thing he does whenever he gets lonely, and believe me, it's not pretty."

"He could literally hear Dragonite crying from the Pokeball…" Steven explained to Wallace, "He said it was too heartbreaking to hear. I'm developing a brand new Pokeball for this…"

Dragonite suddenly came up next to Lance, and began to fondly purred, demanding him to ride on his back again. Lance smiled as he puts on the black helmet once again, "Hey, gonna go for another round. Save me a seat, okay?"

"Okay, be safe." Steven said, before the two zoomed towards the east.

Wallace chuckled, "Nasty little brat…" he commented, "Sometimes I wonder what he's made of…"

"You're not the first one to ever wonder…" Steven paused, before finally asking, "So, when's the baby due?"

Wallace smiled, "In two months, I think…" He replied. "Winona is getting really moody recently. And she keeps on craving for weird food I've never even heard of. It's kind of nuts, but I guess this is a part of being a good father, huh?"

Steven nodded, "Have you picked on a name for the girl?"

"Not yet. We're still working on that. I'd like to name her Claudia, but Winona as tons of other names in her mind. She just couldn't pick out the right one…"

"Claudia is a nice name…" Steven commented.

"Exactly. It's a great name. I just couldn't understand why Winona insists on picking a different one."

Steven mused in his own thoughts, before finally saying, "… You know… Somehow, I just felt happy for no reason…"

"For me?"

"No… happy for the way things finally turn out to be…"

Wallace chuckled, "… I couldn't disagree…"

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**END**

* * *

**Hellow guys! FanGirl0207 here writing this for the readers out there. I would like to say thank you to everyone who had been reading and reviewing my fic! Thank you guys, those reviews means a lot to me! And not to forget, those who read, fav and follow my story as well! Thanks a bunch guys!  
**

**i know the ending of this fic is kind of abrupt, but I know nothing else to add. I tried doing the sex scene again for the ending, but just couldn't get myself to write a good one. I know, sorry for disappointing you guys, I feel as bad :(  
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**I've always been bad at wrapping up stories, but I'm trying my best to improve!  
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**Thanks a bunch guys, for everything! Hope I'll see you guys again in my next LancexSteven fic!  
**


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